Cropico tester on track at train company

Bombardier Transportation’s product portfolio includes the repair and overhaul of AC/DC traction motors, wheel sets, bogies, engine rafts and electronic and control equipment.

Advanced component analysis and motor testing systems have been initiated by the company involving the DO7 Plus as part of the assessment to achieve enhanced motor performance.

The instrument has improved the accuracy to which low resistance can be measured, simplifying resistance associated with electrical connections, weld integrity, cable and joint resistance, electric motors and other engineering applications.

It is also used to detect high resistive joints and open circuits on all motor types and carry out bar-bar resistance and equaliser winding integrity assessments on DC motor field coils, interpole coils, armature coils.

The risk of fire resulting from a poorly performing axle earth return ‘high resistive joint’ can be avoided by the use of the DO7 Plus to check earth resistance through the axle and wheel interface.

Bombardier is also using the instrument for development work to analyse, assess and implement product improvements.

Andrew Mills, technical electrical engineer at Bombardier, said: “The DO7 Plus is a highly capable, easy-to-use instrument, even in the harshest of environments.

“It produces excellent test data to allow analysis of results and easy data collection and storage.

“It carries out all the required tests as well as we had hoped, and we are now looking at the possibility of buying further units for next year.”

The D07 Plus improves the accuracy to which low resistance can be measured, simplifying resistance associated with electrical connections, weld integrity, cable and joint resistance, electric motors and other engineering applications.

Accurate to within 0.05%, lead resistance errors are eliminated with the incorporation of true four-wire technology, while advanced features include seven selectable measurement ranges, extending from 0.1μΩ to 6 kΩ - in addition to a 10A measuring current.

It is capable of recording and storing 1,000 measurements plus sequences. There is an option for selecting continuous or pulsed current output.

A long scale count meter (up to 60,000) enables the automatic averaging of forward and reverse measurements, which can then be downloaded to a PC or printer if required via a full serial RS232 or USB outlet port.

A QWERTY keyboard and LCD graphics panel have been incorporated to allow for quick and easy access and control. Other features include temperature compensation, full cooling curve facilities with built-in graphical plotting, remote start facility and comprehensive digital calibration.

Remote power is provided by rechargeable batteries, which provide up to one hour’s continuous use at the lowest ranges and 20 hours for all others. A mains cord is also supplied as standard together with test leads, user manual and instructional CD-ROM. Specialist test leads and calibration standards are also available from Cropico.

The D07 Plus comes sealed in an impact-resistant, lightweight (5kg) and easy-to-carry ABS case capable of withstanding the harshest field conditions and is part of a comprehensive range of precision measurement instruments from Cropico, part of the Seaward Group. More at www.cropico.com Tel: 0191 587 8731.