Travelling by train is fun, protects the environment and is also very safe. For the railway, the safety of passengers and staff is very important. No one should come to harm when he or she travels by train.
The Bender company makes a small but important contribution to this. Our insulation monitoring devices namely ensure electrical safety and prevent possible danger to people and damage to the material.
In this article you will find out what role Bender technology plays in trains and railway installations and why it is so important.
Where do the dangers lurk?
Nothing works on the railways without electricity. Whether it’s the on-board network in a modern ICE, the controls in a signal box or a points heater. In the best case, everything works smoothly. But various external influences and ageing processes can gradually damage materials. Cables and equipment in trains, for example, are exposed to constant vibrations, small rodents sometimes chew up signal lines and heat, rain or frost affect trains or signal lines. Intelligent measurement technology is needed to prevent electrical accidents or failures. Bender offers this measuring technology for a wide range of railway requirements.
Why measuring the insulation resistance prevents failures
The principle: our monitoring devices continuously measure the insulation resistance between a power-carrying conductor and earth. If it is very high to infinity, everything is fine. No current flows through faulty or damaged insulation. However, if the insulation resistance deteriorates, this can sooner or later lead to malfunctions, failures or even accidents. That is why the insulation monitoring device from Bender reports such faults (How does insulation monitoring work?). The special feature: fortunately, if the measuring device detects a fault, operation does not have to be interrupted immediately in most cases. Trains and systems can continue to run, are still available. However, operators can schedule repair and maintenance in a timely manner as soon as the monitoring device detects a creeping deterioration of the insulation resistance.
A benefit for the railway – and its customers
In many areas of the railway, continuous insulation monitoring of electrical systems is nowadays indispensable. Trains, signal boxes, signals or points must function reliably and failures must be prevented, because nobody should be stuck in a train for hours. The measurement of insulation resistance is a small but crucial component here.
Four key advantages
Insulation faults are detected at an early stage through the use of insulation monitoring devices on the railway. This
✔️avoids failures of trains and installations,
✔️makes preventive maintenance possible,
✔️prevents electrical accidents due to insulation faults,
✔️increases safety.
Electrical safety made by Bender
Of course, insulation monitoring cannot prevent every disruption to train traffic. But in the field of electrical safety, our technology ensures that you can board the next train with peace of mind and arrive safely at your destination. – The railway relies on Bender. That is good. For us as railway customers too.
Would you like to know more about Bender and its railway safety technology? Find out here: https://www.bender.de/en/solutions/railway/
