Vehicles are weighed using optical fibers. Unique technology has been certified.

Demanding testing of the new #OptiWIM product has been completed by CROSS Zlín, a manufacturer and supplier of road transport technologies. Its patented dynamic optical fiber weighing technology has received a type certificate.

 

Certification was preceded by three separate tests. The first simulated the load in normal operation. For this purpose, a pilot installation on the D1 motorway near Kroměříž was prepared. Cars with different speeds and weights drove through sensors built into the aluminum console in the road surface for several days. The second part of testing was carried out in a specialized test room, where the electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) of the switchboard and the whole equipment was measured. The testing was finished with temperature tests, which were carried out in a special chamber with adjustable temperature from -40 ° C to 80 ° C. The functionality of the system was tested throughout the temperature range. “The testing was very demanding for all participants. For example, workers in special overalls were moving in the chamber and applied certified weights gradually over the entire length of the console. Only this process has been going on for more than a week, ”says Vladimír Kašík, CROSS Zlín Product Manager.

The certificate obtained is valid in the European Union. #OptiWIM is classified as a proven measuring device. “Of course, when placing sensors in the roadway, we have to pay attention to the roadway parameters, check the corrugation of the top layer of asphalt or its possible cracks, and after installation, the system must be calibrated on site for the required accuracy. If the investor decides to use the system for automatic enforcement, the Czech Metrology Institute will also verify, ”added Vladimír Kašík.

The Certified #OptiWIM was officially presented at this year's ISWIM International Conference, but won the first award a year earlier at the world's largest Intertraffic Fair in Amsterdam, where it won first place (Innovation Award) in the Transport Infrastructure category. “As part of the development of #OptiWIM, long-term internal testing has taken place and its results have been so convincing that we believe that optical fibers will fully replace today's advanced dynamic weighing technologies using piezo-polymer or silicon sensors,” said CROSS Director Tomáš Juřík. The life span of the sensor is estimated to be 10 years. CROSS has already noticed a great interest in this new product from many countries. The system is currently being validated at further 5 sites, with live installations scheduled to take place this winter.