Wheel-rim and shaft testing

This automatic test bench was developed to test wheel-rim and solid shafts on different types of wheel sets with up to four brake discs. The wheel rims are checked for longitudinal, transverse and volume defects using ultrasonic and eddy-current probes. The wheel-set shafts are tested with up to six phased array probes. Testing is carried out entirely automatically once the wheel set and shaft type have been input.

• Cracks from depths of one millimetre are detected.
• he results from wheel-set testing are presented in the form of bar charts with associated display of the individual probes’ A-scan.
• The shaft tests are analysed on the basis of the recorded C-scan.
• The inspectors’ work is simplified with the help of such functions as the suppression of form indications (without affecting the presentation of defects) and the ability to zoom into selected areas, including A-scan displays.
• The collected data is stored and logged. It is then made available in a system that operates at a level higher than the database.
• By combining ultrasonic, eddy-current and phased-array testing technology in conjunction with specially developed control and analysis software, BTD has realised a compact, modern and expansion-oriented solution.