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The development of a high-precision, high-quality robot for welding rails and switch components is rapidly becoming a reality. Once operational, the welding robot will contribute to extending the service life of rail infrastructure and address the growing shortage of skilled rail welders.
On May 21st, Robel Rail Automation, ProRail, VolkerRail, and Strukton Rail signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), affirming the importance and necessity of further developing the welding robot for future rail maintenance. This agreement marks a significant step toward adapting the technology for deployment on the Dutch railway network.
What started as a vision for robotic rail maintenance is now translating into tangible progress. Robel Rail Automation is developing the robot in close collaboration with contractors VolkerRail and Strukton Rail, and infrastructure manager ProRail. Eight welds carried out by the robot at the Maasvlakte have been continuously monitored for nearly a year, with promising results so far.
What started as a vision for robotic rail maintenance is now translating into tangible progress.
The welding robot, housed in a double-container unit mounted on a rail wagon, is designed to weld both standard carbon steel rails and switch components. It can operate during nighttime hours and under adverse weather conditions, without fatigue, and with consistently high precision. The robot will also enable working with only one track closed, and the adjacent track (potentially) open. This makes the system an ideal solution for the future of automated rail maintenance.
With the MOU signed at the International Exhibition for Track Technology (IaF) in Münster on May 21st, the project now moves into its next phase: investing in the further development of the welding robot and exploring its application within the Dutch rail network.
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