Authors:
Giovanni Corti | EVIDENT Europe | Hamburg | DE
François Vicat | EVIDENT | Quebec | CA
A higher priority is being given to the rail transportation of goods and people, due to international policies related to health, climate change, and energy. In this context, stakeholders in the rail industry are looking for more efficient, reliable, and faster inspection methods to ensure operational safety and reduce downtime.
Wheelset components like axles and wheels are critical parts that are continuously exposed to stress during normal operation. In addition, the continuously increasing operational speed of trains mean smaller defects need to be detected at the earliest stages in the life of an axle or wheel, i.e. at the manufacturing stage. This helps avoid costly repairs or replacements and, most importantly, dramatic incidents.
In this paper, developments in eddy current array technology, as an alternative to historical inspection methods like visual or magnetic particle, will be described. Furthermore, performances achieved by eddy current inspections in terms of repeatability, detectability, and traceability will be presented, specifically the detection and sizing of surface defects in all areas of axles during manufacturing.
Finally, the most advanced, automatic solutions that Evident can provide for the inspection of rolling stock materials during manufacture will be briefly reviewed.
Keywords
Rolling stock, Eddy Current Array, ECA, Surface inspection, Axles, Railway, Phased Array, Wheels