ACFM offers significant benefits to the rail industry. Inspections can be conducted on vehicles in service, reducing time out of traffic. With automatic detection and sizing of defects and audible alarms dependent on the severity of defect encountered, less reliance is placed on the operator and the overall reliability of inspection improved. Additionally data is available for third party review without need for re-inspection
Accuracy and information on crack depth means resources can be prioritized, safety improved and unnecessary repairs eliminated
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General Inspection Systems The current technologies used to inspect railway components are usually ultrasonic testing and magnetic particle inspection. Both of these methods have weaknesses particularly when trying to detect shallow surface breaking defects in real-world situations where there is a heavy reliance on operator technique and interpretation. Also recording of inspection data is not easy and is generally not carried out. TSC have developed equipment for use within the railway industry for inspecting a range of components including bogies, rails and wheelsets. As part of gaining acceptance for use, ACFM underwent stringent trials and analysis to prove its effectiveness. This included a blind trial on a series of axles containing real defects conducted by the Engineering Link in the UK. ACFM proved to have the highest detection rate of all techniques studied, including MPI performed to current guidelines, combined with a low false call rate. ACFM was also studied in depth by Bombardier Transportation, UK who conducted laboratory trials, workshop trials and carried out a thorough literature survey to produce a comprehensive qualification dossier independently endorsed by The Engineering Link. This resulted in a certificate of approval for the use of ACFM on railway wheelsets. |
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Railway Axle Inspection In addition to standard instruments for routine inspection, TSC supply dedicated systems for axle inspection. Benefits include:
A number of options exist when considering inspecting axles with ACFM depending on the required coverage, speed of deployment, type of axle and if the axle is mounted on the bogie. All use the basic ACFM technology but the mode of deployment, and in particular the degree of automation, vary considerably. As expected, the more sophisticated the system, the less the reliance on the operator. As a general rule, the higher the degree of automation, the higher the initial cost but the lower the ongoing operational costs. Equipment options are based around the equipment certified by Bombardier Transportation which consists of an enhanced AMIGO instrument, a range of probes and new software offering greater operator assistance. |
