Universal Mechanism: models of railway vehicles

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Simulation of Tracked Vehicles

New UM Tracked Vehicle module, intended for simulation of tracked vehicle dynamics, is released. Detailed informaton about the module is here. UM Tracked Vehicle module will be available in UM software since UM 6.0.

June, 2010

.:: UM Tracked Vehicle

New version: UM 5.1

New UM 5.1 release is available now. The import of data from STEP and IGES files is supported, some minor improvements were made and some bugs were fixed in this release. Please download UM 5.1 here and ask for a free trial 3-month license using um@umlab.ru.

.:: Download UM 5.1

November 2008

Transport company AmstedRail, one of the leaders in transport engineering in Northern America, that specializes in production of components and equipment for railway vehicles, especially for freight cars, purchased UM 5.0 for its head office as well as for Russian (Transolutions CIS) and Ukrainian branches.

.:: AmstedRail

New version: UM 5.0

New UM 5.0 version is available. Almost all modules of the program package were appreciably developed. Please read here about new possibilities of UM 5.0. A beta-version of UM 5.0 is already available for testing. Please download UM 5.0 here and ask for a free trial 3-month license using um@umlab.ru.

.:: What's new in UM 5.0

January 2008

Central research institute “TransElektroPribor” (Saint-Petersburg, Russia) purchased program package “Universal Mechanism” for carrying out investigations in the area of railway vehicle dynamics.

.:: TransElektroPribor

January 2008

Indonesian biggest producer of electric locomotives, passenger coaches and freight wagons "INKA - Indonesian Railway Industry" now uses “Universal Mechanism” software. Dynamical properties of freight wagons are in focus of computer simulation.

.:: INKA

December 2007

JSC “Metrowagonmash”, Moscow region, the big producer of the metro cars and armored trucked vehicles now uses Universal Mechanism for developing new metro car bogie and simulation of trucked vehicle dynamics.

.:: Metro cars

December 2007

JSC VELNII, Novocherkassk, the Russian leading design institute of electric locomotives, now uses Universal Mechanism software for dynamical analysis of newly designed locomotives. Hybrid electro-mechanical models of electric locomotives that combine interactive accurate mechanical and electrical parts are planned to be developed.

.:: JSC VELNII

November 2007

The meeting that was devoted to “Using Universal Mechanism Software for simulation of derailment cases” took place in headquarters of JSC Russian Railways in Moscow under the chairmanship of the vice-president of Russian Railways on 29th of November, 2007. Representatives of several departments of Russian Railways, VNNIZHT, VNIKTI and other institutes and enterprises took part in the meeting. As a results the decision to recommend Universal Mechanism software as a basic tool for simulation of railway vehicle dynamics and derailment cases were approved.

.:: Russian Railways

November 2007

After more than a year of trial period the "Vossloh Spain" company joined the list of users of UM software. During the trial period the simulation of dynamics of a locomotive and durability analysis of its bogie frame was fulfilled. As Europe’s leading manufacturer, "Vossloh Spain" company designs and builds locomotives as well as passenger trains.

.:: Vossloh Spain

Free UM Lite

Laboratory of Computational Mechanics presents Universal Mechanism Lite, which is free for non-commercial use. It is a simplified version of Universal Mechanism software. The program is intended for using by students and teachers for educational purposes as well as design engineers for express analysis of designed mechanisms in their everyday work.

.:: More...

September 2007

The biggest Russian producer of freight bogies and wagons the State Unitary Enterprise "Production Association "URALVAGONZAVOD" starts using UM software for estimation of dynamical and fatigue properties of freight wagons that are one of the basic products of the enterprise. Three specialists were trained and several dynamical models of railway vehicles were considered during introduction course, 24-28 September 2007. We thank our distributor Delcam-Ural company for organization of this training.

.:: Ekaterinburg

May 2007

All-Russian Railway Design Institute jointly with Laboratory of Computational Mechanics and Institute for Problems in Mechnics RAS starts researches concerning optimization of railway gauge. The aim of researches is determination of the optimal railway gauge from point of view wear rails and wheels and safety factors taking into account various working conditions of railway vehicles. Wear of wheels and rails and its intension, volume wear and accumulation of contact damages are also considered.

.:: Optimal gauge

April 2007

State research center of railway transport of Ukraine, Kiev, purchased program package "Universal Mechanism" for carrying out complex research in the field of railway vehicle and train dynamics, safety, rails and wheels wear prediction, etc.

.:: Ukraine

December 2006

Two new universities - South-Russian Technical University, Novocherkassk, and Moscow State Transport University - widen the list of university users of "Universal Mechanism" software. The program will be used for research activity of students and PhD students. One researche from the Moscow State Transport University took part in the training cources in the Laboratory.

.:: UM in Universities

Russian Railways

Russian Railways and All-Russian Research and Design Railway Institute developed a library of UM-models of locomotives. The library includes models of 5 diesel locomotives and 11 electric locomotives and is aimed for carrying out complex researches of its dynamics and especially safety analysis.

.:: More...

Some models of Railway Vehicles Developed with the Help of UM Loco

Diesel locomotive TEM21

A number of railway vehicles (locomotives, wagons, metro cars, trams etc.) were simulated with the help of UM Loco. The first applied researches were done in the early nineties, when a model of the TEP80 locomotive (Kolomna Locomotive Works, Kolomna, Russia) was described and its dynamic behavior was investigated. In 1995 a model of 120-tonn-tank truck was developed and a comparison of its dynamics on standard three-piece bogies and newly suggested bogies was carried out.

Electric locomotive VL80

In 1995 the collaboration with All-Russian Locomotive Design Institute (Kolomna, Russia) started and leaded to the development of the detailed dynamic model of the TE116 locomotive. The model of the locomotive contains flexible wheelsets with 7 d.o.f., traction engines and gears. A model of the TE116 locomotive with radial bogies was developed as well. In 1998 some models of two- and three-axle bogies by Bryansk Machine Building Works (Bryansk, Russia) for new projected locomotives were prepared. In 1998-2001 a number of models (TEM21, TA15, TA25, TA35) were developed and analyzed for BMBW. Dynamics of locomotives with bogies of different design and the effectiveness of radial bogies were of main interest.


Diesel locomotive TE116

In 2000 a model of the three-piece bogie and freight wagons (“State United Enterprises URALVAGONZAVOD”, Nizhniy Tagil, Russia) were created. The models provide four constructions of friction wedges and three constructions of the axle-box. For more accurate simulation of the contact interaction (between friction wedges, side frames and bolster in the suspension, between side frame and wheelset in the axle-box, and in the pivot unit between bolster and car body) a mathematical model of multipoint contact forces were developed. This model is widely used for the analysis of derailment situations and possible modernizations of the bogie. Click here to read more detailed description of the model of the three-piece bogie and the freight wagon.

Freight wagon

In 2001 UM models of the EP10 electric locomotive and its modifications were developed. The model was used for optimization of suspension and geometrical parameters of radial bogies. In 2003 models of the 81-717 metro car, the 71-608K tram, the VL80 electric locomotive as well as a model of a multi-carriage train were created. In 2004 a model of the EP200 electric locomotive was developed.