Railway wheels ultrasonic

System overview

The STARMANS company has been developing the equipment for ultrasonic inspection of railway wheels since 1998. Several different conceptions and arrangements were developed “ starting from simple two-channel system for testing bandages, through the system for US testing of wheels in horizontal position, up to the last, most efficient system for US testing of wheels in vertical position.

The testing system consists of rigid mechanic frame with immersion tank. The wheel is fed in vertical position into the tank by means of a crane (manipulator).

Specifications of wheels are as follows

  • Wheel dimensions: 650 – 1300 mm
  • Hub dimensions: 100 – 350 mm
  • Diaphragm dimensions: 200 – 1000
  • Diaphragm width: 100 – 160 mm
  • Hub width 130: – 240 mm
  • Max. weight: 1000 kg

Transducers are moved away to the safe parking position during feeding and removing the wheel. Linear guides of transducers are installed above the water level, enabling testing the wheel hub in axial direction, wheel diaphragm in axial direction and wheel rim in both axial and radial directions.

The system is modular, probe holders allow to use immersion transducers or transducers with gap coupling. The control system allows testing using all transducers simultaneously and allows setting up the sections to be tested.

Graphic records include actual requirements and can be modified according to eventual additional requirements at any time, without changing the basic program, by editing of graphs structure. Graphs enable documenting the position, diameter, area, depth of detected defects, loss of back wall echo in the C-scan, with displaying sections of measurement from all transducers.

There is a possibility of saving and documenting of A-scan in any point, or to save A-scan according to prescribed criterion in the defect location.

Summary

The ultrasonic inspection system is equipped with modern computerized devices enabling fully automated operation without presence of operator:

  • automatic loading and unloading of wheels
  • short time for inspection of one wheel
  • multi-channel system with fully independent ultrasonic channels “ possibility of extension and upgrades
  • high repeatability and reproducibility of test results
  • simplicity of control and setting up the system via user oriented software
  • possibility of remote diagnostic of the system
  • immediate documenting and archiving of the test results, including the data transfer to the company central information system
  • completing the documentation after inspection “ generating reports for separate wheels and for full batch/order
  • quick information about accepted and rejected wheels
  • statistic processing of the test results acc. to pre-defined criteria
  • saving of all parameters and functions of testing for simple use in future or for checks and re-inspections
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First equipment for US inspection of railway wheels and bandages (year 2000)

General view on the first prototype of the equipment for US inspection of railway wheels and bandages

General view on the first prototype of the equipment for US inspection of railway wheels and bandages

Equipment for inspection of wheels in horizontal position (year 2002)

Equipment for inspection of wheels in horizontal position (year 2002)

Equipment for inspection of wheels in vertical position(year 2005)

Equipment for inspection of wheels in vertical position(year 2005)

Equipment for inspection of wheels in vertical position(year 2006)

Equipment for inspection of wheels in vertical position(year 2006)

Basic display for setting of testing parameters

Basic display for setting of testing parameters

Calibration wheel with artificial defects for establishing DAC curve

Calibration wheel with artificial defects for establishing DAC curve

Graphic record of testing results - wheel with reference defects

Graphic record of testing results – wheel with reference defects