Application story from Swedish railway company of Mobile Ultrasonic Hollow axle testing system

bip technology GmbH Swedish Railways with new Portable Ultrasonic Hollow Axle Testing Equipment.

The Swedish passenger train operator SJ AB operates on a track network of over 12´000 km. The fleet includes approx. 100 locos pulling passenger trains and an increasing number of modern EMU´s. Speeds up to 200 km are reached. In the next couple of years SJ will increase the fleet and open new connections in the Scandinavian network (Sweden, Denmark & Norway).

Source https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SJ_AB

Higher speed, high axle load on heavy haul trains and extremely climate conditions are the challenges in regard of safety and reliability of trains. In winter ice blocks are impacting the axles. Therefor axles must undergo frequent ultrasonic tests to avoid breaking wheel set axle under the train.

Manual testing of hollow axle has been done in the past The hollow axles have been checked against defect by the SJ ultrasonic specialists with manual ultrasonic equipment. The probes are fixed on a lance which have to be rotated and forwarded by the operator himself. On the screen of the analyzing unit he can see eventually defects. For the operator this type of work is difficult, it is very sensitive and need a lot of practice. Such tests need about 2 hours per axle, per day no more than 6 axles could be tested. It was also not possible to safe the test data in a way which allows to restore them in case of an incident or whatever. The influence of the ultrasonic specialist on the result of testing was critical.

Previously used manual testing NDT UT equipment

We keep your wheels rolling bip technology GmbH ● Am Elisabethhof 22 ● 14772 Brandenburg a.d. Havel www.bip-technology.de ● sales@bip-technology.de

bip technology GmbH The solution: The Mobile Hollow Axle Ultrasonic Testing Device from bip In Sweden maintenance is subcontracted to third party companies, the ultrasonic detection tests again subcontracted by them to certified organisations like Dekra. SJ AB provides the ultrasonic testing facility.

At the end SJ AB was looking for a new solution which allows faster testing, easier to move and which allows to safe and recall the complete ultrasonic test and reduce influence of operator on the result of testing.

After visiting the InnoTrans exhibition SJ AB decided for the Mobile Hollow Axle Utrasonic testing device from bip technology. This device can be easily moved from one place to the other with only one person in a normal person car.

The testing device from bip can be prepared for the testing within less than 10 minutes by one person.

Once the connecting adapter is fixed on the axle, the only 12 kg light feed unit with the US probe can be hung on with few handholds. It does not need to be fixed on a trolley and lifted and positioned by hoist.

This new design makes it possible to test hollow axles even in the smallest space or in areas which can only be reached via stairs. The system concept is aimed at all depots and companies with difficult access possibilities to the wheelsets or with decentralized workshops.

Another important key point for SJ AB was to be able to make a testing programs for the ultrasonic tests for different axle types and to save the complete “raw data” for traceability. It allows to review the

We keep your wheels rolling bip technology GmbH ● Am Elisabethhof 22 ● 14772 Brandenburg a.d. Havel www.bip-technology.de ● sales@bip-technology.de

bip technology GmbH validation of testing results any time. With the very user-friendly software from the ultrasonic specialists from bip technology, for each probe the echo characteristics and the scan views can be set up.

Graphical User Interface programmed from bip is showing the real time data, recallable after saving.

C-scan view After the feed unit is adapted, the ultrasonic test can be started fully automatic and is executed in approx.

10-15 minutes. The feed and rotation speed of the ultrasonic detection probe carrier is for each test constant as preprogrammed and determines repeatable results. The protocol of ultrasonic testing as PDF with all production data and detailed information about the results of testing is created after each test.

Statement from SJ “We find the equipment small and flexible and with a friendly user interface, which is of major important, this so that the operator can focus on the evaluation of the test result, instead of focusing on operating the probe, which now is done automatically. This resulting in higher POD (Probability of Detection) and increase the traffic safety.”

Pär Söderström, Technical specialist – Mechanical System SJ AB, Rolling Stock Division

Other ultrasonic testing solutions from bip technology:

We keep your wheels rolling bip technology GmbH ● Am Elisabethhof 22 ● 14772 Brandenburg a.d. Havel www.bip-technology.de ● sales@bip-technology.de