Quality control in the production of mechanically welded sub-units

Alstom Transport develops and offers the most comprehensive range of systems, equipment and services on the rail transport market world-wide. With 18% of the market and a turnover of 5.3 billion euros, the company is the market leader for high-speed and very-high-speed trains while enjoying second place world-wide on the urban transport, regional train, signalling and infrastructure markets as well as for all associated services.

The Reichshoffen site is also proud to have produced carriages for the Swedish and Finnish rail transport markets some years ago as well as the second phase of the tramway in Strasbourg.

The metrology department of the ALSTOM subsidiary in Reichshoffen, which is part of the manufacturing quality division under the responsibility of Emmanuel Glad, owns two old KERN theodolites and has recently acquired a ROMER measuring arm as well as a Leica TDA5005 new generation theodolite. ‘As part of our quality policy and whilst increasing the project rate, we have reviewed our dimensional control equipment. The ROMER measuring arm - portable, flexible and easy to use - allows us to save more than thirty minutes per component measured and also to take measurements for other departments’.

Being able to perform quicker and more precise controls means that ALSTOM can offer a state-of-the-art service in the field of in-house measurement. In addition to “standard” measurements of chassis sub-unit bodies (photos 1 and 2) in the context of the daily production of railway carriages, the measuring arm is occasionally used for other purposes, depending on the projects in progress. According to Joel Klaiber who uses the machine, the ‘measuring arm is portable and quick and can be used for any type of application. We also measure and control the parts received from our subcontractors’.

Joel Klaiber adds, “I use the ROMER measuring arm every day and I must admit that I take great pleasure in working with this machine. My colleagues often say that it’s like a game to me. The G-Pad software is very user friendly and it is also very easy to operate the measuring arm. Not only that, but . . . . .