Integrated Computational Materials, Process and Product Engineering – IC-MPPE 2022

A railway network consists of myriad important components that finally form a smoothly running railway infrastructure when optimally coordinated upon each other. Switches are of utmost importance in this context, as they allow trains to change between tracks during ongoing operation and thus enable trouble-free services. Such functionality is naturally associated with high costs, as the moving parts lead to discontinuities in the points and the associated higher dynamic forces cause faster wear of the components itself. Consequently, not only the maintenance costs increase, but also the overall life cycle costs.
In order to counteract this trend, innovative methods and concepts are necessary so as to avoid even more pressure on the infrastructure operators' already strained budgets. This presentation shows essential problems in the turnout and presents the results of the recent years of intensive research and field-tests carried out in a close collaboration with several infrastructure managers. Future-oriented and practicable solutions will be unveiled that pave the way towards prescriptive maintenance and a sustainable railway infrastructure.