Point machine repair and test bench

The bench is designed for post-repair running-in and acceptance testing of point machines with DC and three-phase AC motors. It reproduces the load that a turnout creates when the switch rails are thrown, and allows the throw bar force, the friction clutch slip current and force, throw time, throw bar and detection rod travel, circuit controller operation and trailing protection to be checked without going out on the track and without fitting the machine to a turnout.

The machine is bolted to the base plate through an adapter fixture matching its housing type, and the throw bar is coupled to the loading unit — a hydraulic cylinder with adjustable back pressure that sets the throw resistance from no-load up to clutch slip. A load cell in the linkage measures force, a linear displacement sensor measures throw bar travel, and the power cabinet supplies the motor with adjustable voltage while recording current and throw time. The welded frame is rated for trailing forces, the working area is guarded, and the motor can only be started with the guard closed.

The results of every throw are displayed as force and current curves against throw bar travel and saved in a report linked to the machine number. At the customer's request the bench is extended with a tilting stand for stripping and reassembling the machine, a higher-capacity hydraulic power unit for long-stroke machines, a fixture set for machines with external locks, and a control circuit test module that simulates the signals of the interlocking.