China's first intelligent fine-tuning equipment for ballastless track was officially put into operation on Monday, marking a leap from manual labor to intelligent and digital construction in turnout fine-tuning, Science and Technology Daily reported.

The equipment, independently developed by China Railway Shanghai Engineering Bureau, has been put into use at the Qidongxi Station construction site of the Shanghai-Hefei High-Speed Railway. It is expected to enhance both the quality and efficiency of high-speed rail construction.

Often referred to as the "throat" of high-speed rail lines, ballastless turnouts are critical for enabling trains to switch tracks and operate cross different lines. The precision of their fine-tuning directly impacts both operational safety and passenger comfort.

For a long time, construction in this sector has relied heavily on manual labor - characterized by high intensity, numerous precision-demanding measurement and adjustment steps, and persistent efficiency bottlenecks. This has long been a major pain point hindering efforts to enhance both quality and efficiency in high-speed rail construction, reported China Youth Daily.

"The equipment consists of a turnout fine-tuning robot, a side-track level inspection trolley, an intelligent elevation adjuster, an intelligent centerline adjuster and supporting intelligent fine-tuning software. It integrates intelligent sensing, precise measurement, automatic adjustment, and closed-loop data management, achieving full domestic production," said Wang Huan, chief engineer of the First Section of the Project Management Department of the Shanghai-Chongqing-Chengdu High-Speed Railway Shanghai-Nanjing Section at China Railway Shanghai Engineering Bureau, according to the Science and Technology Daily.

According to Wang, the equipment adopts synchronous measuring technology for straight and curved tracks, greatly improving the efficiency and integrity of data collection. Its intelligent analysis system enables automatic data processing and precise command issuance, while the mechanized operation greatly reduces reliance on manual experience.

(Source: Global Times)