Lansmont Corporation’s
Chicago “L” Train Ride Quality Study
A demonstration of technology immediately available for effective measurement, assessment and improvement of transport environments.
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In preparation for Pack Expo International 2006 Lansmont chose the famed Chicago Elevated (“L”) Rail Lines to help demonstrate newly available Lansmont technology that can be used to measure, compare and quantify the level of hazard or harshness present within transport environments.
Railcars not only carry passengers on regional and local commuter lines; they also transport many of the products we eat, drink, and use on a daily basis as consumers. Those products move from the point of manufacture to locations of general distribution and/or use. Some products move 3,000-plus miles from central Mexico to the Eastern seaboard of the United States. Other products may move nearly 1,200 miles from Shanghai China to developing industrial areas on the Tibetan plain such as Chengdu.
Given the volume and value of those products, it’s imperative that manufacturers clearly understand the hazards present within those specific routes of transport. Subsequently those manufacturers must demonstrate that a well-balanced combination of robust product and package design will protect those products during transport. Validation of both product and package design is performed in the laboratory by simulating the hazards in controlled performance tests. Successful results provide the manufacturers with high assurance that they can deliver quality products to the various points of destination and end customers without risk of loss or damage.
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Lansmont used their SAVER 9x30 Field Data Recorder along with companion SAVER GPS-Logger to measure key Chicago “L” ride quality metrics including: ⇒ Individual Bumps Occurring on Each of 8 “L” Lines. ⇒ Date and Time of Individual Event Measurements. ⇒ GPS Position of Individual Event Measurements. ⇒ Overall Vibration Harshness of Each “L” Line.
Lansmont’s SAVER 9x30 uses a self-powered internal triaxial accelerometer to measure the dynamic shock and vibration inputs, while also recording the temperature, humidity, and atmospheric pressure (altitude) associated with each and every dynamic event.
The SAVER 9x30 was affixed rigidly to train’s floor, directly underneath the seat of the eight (8) “L” line cars that were selected for measurement. This location was selected to assure measurement as close to the source of dynamic input as possible. In addition, Lansmont used their SAVER GPS-Logger which stored position data during the time of measurement. By associating the specific time of GPS position with that of the time of the shock or vibration events, Lansmont was able to provide visual confirmation of not only what happened, but specifically where it happened!
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For this study “Ride Quality” was assessed by focusing upon two key metrics; bumps and vibration harshness. Bumps are dynamic inputs that one can associate with events of relatively large displacement, or movement of the railcar. Vibration harshness is a definition of the overall background shake-rattle-and-roll that is ever present as the railcar moves down the rails. Remembering that noise is vibration, review the graph below as such graphs are used to assess and compare levels of vibration.
Vibration Spectra Analysis 0.025 Brown - 0.182 Grms Blue - 0.629 Grms
Large Displacement Spectrum Audible Frequency Spectrum 0.020
0.015
0.010 Intensity (G^2/Hz) Intensity
0.005
0.000
-0.005 0 1 10 100 1000 Frequency (Hz)
This graph actually shows data from the Blue and Brown “L” lines. The higher the plotted data is vertically, the larger the vibration severity. The two shaded areas of the graph represent two vibration frequency ranges on the X-axis. The left-most (lower) frequency input can be thought of as that which you would feel as a rider on these lines. The right-most (higher) frequency input can be thought of as that which you would not only feel, but also hear as a rider on these lines. Thus review and assessment of these graphical signatures provided much of the basis for our overall comparative ride quality analysis of the eight (8) Chicago ”L” lines.
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RESULTS:
Largest Individual Bump; Each Line:
Top-10 Bumps; All Lines:
Largest Smallest
Overall Vibration Harshness; All Lines: Comparison of Chicago “L” Lines and ASTM Rail Test Simulation for Packaged Products
Best Worst
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Many packaged products are tested and qualified for rail transport using general, older industry standards such as the vibration profile included within ASTM D4169. That profile is represented on the bar chart by the burgundy bar and possesses a vibration severity level of 0.29 Grms. Packaged products tested and approved using that ASTM profile could very well expect damage shipping in the five right-hand “L” lines since their severities exceed that of the ASTM qualification test (top figure). Conversely tested and approved packaged products shipping in the three left-hand “L” lines might be over- packed and thus be an opportunity for material savings (bottom figure).
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LANSMONT SUMMARY:
Upon review of all data it’s apparent that the Blue Line possessed the most severe level of vibration harshness as compared to the other “L” lines. Conversely, it’s apparent that the Brown Line is the least harsh ride, and consequently possessing the comparably best overall ride quality. Interestingly, the newest addition to Chicago’s “L” lines, the Pink Line which began operation in June 2006, falls somewhere in the middle of overall ride quality. In addition, five of the top ten largest individual bumps recorded were measured on the Pink Line itself.
Whether the cargo is people, products, automobiles or satellites the environments in which that cargo moves will present damaging hazards. Strategic use of Lansmont technologies guarantees valuable results associated with efforts to:
⇒ Balance design of product and packaging to withstand those environments. ⇒ Reduce or eliminate the potential for product damage. ⇒ Deliver durable, quality products to the point of destination and improve customer experiences with those products. ⇒ Reduce overall manufacturing and distribution costs by improving total process efficiency.
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All Measured Events, All Lines viewed through Google Earth:
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Top Shock Event measured on each of 8 “L” Lines:
0.44 G
1.25 G
1.50 G 2.06 G
1.10 G
2.87 G
1.06 G
1.17 G
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Orange Line Shown from Southward Facing Perspective: Ability to use different icons (red) to represent top-10 vibration severity events Height of Icon represents relative severity of event
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Red Line – 1.50 G
Fullerton Station
Just North of the Fullerton Station.
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Blue Line – 1.10 G
Western / Milwaukee Station
Just Southeast of the Western /Milwaukee Station.
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Brown Line – 2.06 G
Southport Station
Just west of the Southport Station.
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Green Line – 1.06 G
Adams / Wabash Station
Just south of the Adams / Wabash Station.
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Pink Line – 2.87 G
Ashland / Lake Station
Just west of Ashland / Lake Station.
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Orange Line – 1.17 G
Western Station
Just west of Western Station.
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Purple Line – 1.25 G
Diversey Station Wellington Station
Between Diversey and Wellington Stations.
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Yellow Line – 0.44 G
Skokie Station
Just south of the Skokie Station.
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Corporate Headquarters 17 Mandeville Court Monterey, California 93940 831-655-6600
www.lansmont.com
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