The CatPro optical contact wire wear measurement system continuously records the wear on the contact wire while the vehicle is in motion and the contact voltage is switched on, providing significant support for overhead line maintenance.

Measuring with the CatPro significantly reduces the measuring effort and the measuring point distances compared to conventional measuring methods and allows a forecast for further maintenance measures. The two relevant target variables of the wear measurement are the residual cross-section and the twist of the contact wire.

The contact wire wear measurement system can be operated as a standalone system or with a convenient connection to the OVHWizard measuring system for the contact wire position. In this case, the entire operation is carried out via software with the following features:  

• Detection of the entire relevant contact area of the contact wire.
• Live display of profiles and measured values during the measurement.
• Clear display of vertical and lateral position with wear and twist angle over the kilometers of track.
• Recognition of critical wear conditions during the measurement run and afterwards.
• Optional camera connection for visual observation of the overhead line.
• Optional acquisition of GPS data.