Technology Digests / Camera Placement and Optimization Study for E-Type Coupler Securement

TD22-022

September 1, 2022
Authors
  • Anish Poudel
  • Abe Meddah
  • Brian Lindeman
  • John Krasovic
  • Matthew Witte
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Key Findings

  • No single camera position is capable of imaging the E-type coupler cross keys in all AAR car types due to visual obstructions from various other components.
  • A modular design with multiple cameras is suggested for imaging the car type variations. Six additional wayside camera views will capture an additional 90 percent of the obstructed single-camera views.
  • Cameras between the rails are required to image the cotter pins in the B-end of equipped gondola cars because the bell crank assembly and telescoping lever completely obscure side views.

Camera Placement and Optimization Study for E-Type Coupler Securement

Under the Association of American Railroads (AAR) Strategic Research Initiatives (SRI) Program, MxV Rail (formerly TTCI) conducted a camera placement and optimization study for the reliable inspection of E-Type coupler securement components. Cross key, cross key retainer, and cotter pin visibility were of particular interest. The obstruction of the view path posed by hardware and variants across the car types can contribute to inconsistencies in the machine vision system (MVS) inspection ability across AAR car types. This camera placement and optimization study was conducted to determine the optimal camera placement for consistent imaging of existing AAR car types. BACKGROUND Coupler securement must be ensured for safe and reliable operations. A current federal regulation1 defines the inspection of draft gear components as a visual process that human inspectors perform on stationary equipment. Acceptance of the rolling stock component health is based on the limits defined by AAR standards and federal regulations.…