New ultrasound testing systems for the production testing of rail wheels

Previous standards for the manufacturing inspection of railroad wheels using ultrasound, such as UIC 812, have been replaced by new standards, for example EN 13262 and RD32.144-2000, both requiring ultrasonic testing in immersion technique. These new standards require the development of an ultrasonic technique for 100% coverage of the wheel rim and wheel hub, and in special cases for both straight and curved wheel disks. In order to encompass a large variety of railroad wheel designs, inspection and handling techniques should be capable of dealing with wheel diameters ranging from 600 mm to 1300 mm (23" to 51") at testing cycles from 1 to 4 minutes per wheel. The current requirement for the minimum detectable flaw size is DSR 1 mm (disc shape reflector, DSR, 1 mm diameter) for high-speed train wheels rims and DSR 2 mm for all other wheel rims. The minimum detectable flaw size for all other wheel areas (hub and disk areas) is DSR 3 mm. To meet all these criteria, the Rail Wheel Inspection (RWI) System was developed by IZFP and their partners. The system consists of an ultrasonic testing sub-system, immersion tank and transportation/handling sub-systems. Test cycles of 1 minute per wheel require two immersion tanks and two transportation/handling sub-systems. The ultrasonic sub-system features modular computer-aided 6 to 16-channel UT electronics (PCUS 11) to employ 6 to 16 ultrasonic transducers (the precise numer is determined by the testing procedure). This presentation paper offers descriptions of, and results from three of these systems that have been integrated into manufacturing processes at German and Russian wheel manufacturers, and provides details on the following topics: Wheel rim inspection, single-tank immersion technique, 4 minutes inspection cycle per wheel (Bochum, Germany) Wheel rim, hub and disc inspection, single-tank immersion technique, 2 minutes inspection cycle per wheel (Ilsenburg, Germany) Wheel rim, hub and disc inspection, dual-tank immersion technique, 1 minute inspection cycle per wheel (Nishny-Tagil, Russia).