Automation and precision in rail vehicle transfer
A major industrial group in the railway sector turned to ITALCARRELLI to develop a safer and more efficient rail vehicle transfer system for a facility with numerous interconnected railway lines.
Railway workshops and maintenance facilities must transfer rail vehicles between parallel tracks while ensuring precise alignment with the destination line. For this application, the customer wanted to replace its previous rail-bound solution with a rubber-tyred transporter, reducing manual operations and improving control throughout the handling process.
ITALCARRELLI selected the GRIT 900 rail vehicle transborder, configured with a diesel engine, a 90-ton load capacity, six axle lines, multidirectional steering and an integrated wagon stabilization system. Superelastic tyres enable movement between different tracks and manoeuvres not possible with rail-bound systems, including 360-degree rotation to reverse and reposition rail vehicles.
For loading and unloading, the GRIT 900 can be equipped with either a double hydraulic winch or ITALCARRELLI's patented Shunting system, which eliminates the need for steel cables to connect the rail vehicle.
The GRIT series offers several navigation technologies, including inductive guidance, laser navigation and Differential GPS (DGPS). In this project, after the operator selects the destination bay, DGPS guides the machine in semi-automatic mode to align its rail ramps with the track. The system then adjusts the pitch, lowers the ramps and proceeds with loading or unloading.
All electrical and hydraulic functions are controlled by radio remote control, allowing the operator to maintain a clear view of the operation. Semi-automatic positioning, multidirectional steering and the stabilization system support a controlled and consistent transfer procedure tailored to the facility's operating requirements.
