Tracking and mapping sewer laterals can be a tricky proposition. The practice often leaves the technician depending on outdated and inaccurate maps. That’s why the ability to electronically map laterals in a sewer system can be a timesaver and money saver for utilities. The LATRAS lateral tracking system from RauschUSA is designed specifically for that task.
The unit is a modular upgrade to the Rausch M-Series product line for the automatic measuring and graphic documentation of the entire lateral. The system’s control electronics capture the direction of motion of the LATRAS sensor head behind its KS 60 DB digital lateral camera. These coordinates are then registered constantly in parallel with the inspection and allow the documentation of the laterals at the same time without any significant additional work for the operator. With this information about the pipe system, the quality of the inspection can be considerably improved.
“It’s all about being able to increase accuracy and decrease your guesswork,” says Jeff Rager, field applications manager for RauschUSA. “It can really help speed up your mapping process.”
All RauschUSA lateral launch systems with the KS 60 DB lateral camera can be upgraded with the LATRAS sensor and software package. The system is operated through RauschUSA digital lateral launch system, with the LATRAS sensor positioned behind the lateral camera. The sensor then records movement of direction and tilt angles, with distance measurement achieved with an incremental encoder with an error accuracy of less than 0.5 percent. The system then creates, in essence, a real-time drawing of the pipe system with GPS mapping and XYZ coordinates.
“It’s a nearly instantaneous map with all lateral locations drawn out,” Rager says. “It is accurate down to the millimeter, eliminating the educated guesswork that technicians are used to doing.”
The system allows for the recoding of measurements for forward and backward movement, along with recalibration of the measurement results through endpoints. A 512 Hz transmission sonde is available, and the unit is compatible with the company’s lateral launch jetting nozzle for forward propulsion using water pressure.
“Anyone who does work on municipal sewers, including spot repairs and relining, knows that knowing the exact location of your laterals is a huge benefit,” Rager says. “We know this can be a huge help to municipalities.” 877-728-7241; www.rauschusa.com.
