Testing facilities

Operation

Fire-resistance tests

• Cone calorimeter
• Smoke density chamber and FTIR
• Floor radiant panel
• Spread of flame apparatus
• Combustion shaft
• Combustion box
  ​

Operation

Strength and function tests for components of vehicles and permanent ways

• Task-specific test arrangements

• Dynamic forces up to 600 kN
• Static forces up to 4 MN
  ​

• Dynamic forces up to 600 kN
• Static forces up to 4 MN
  ​

Load portal and freely selectable load force supports

Fatigue resistance and crack progression tests on wheels and shafts

Prestressed bed with out-of-balance excitation

• EN 13261 and EN 13262
• Rotational bending force (level and frequency depend on the object to be tested)

All types of side window

Pressure chambers of different sizes

• UIC 566
• Dynamic pressures up to 10 kPa
• Frequencies up to 10 Hz
• Sinusoidal and square-wave signal
  ​

Axle box

Test bed shafts with diameters of 120 mm, 130 mm and 150 mm

EN 12082
Speed up to 3,000 rpm (500 km/h)
Axle load up to 27 t
Headwind simulation at 20°C
​

• EN 12663-1 and -2
• Static forces up to 2,000 kN
• Lift forces/stroke motions up to 400 mm
  ​

Rail vehicles, load securing

• EN 12663-1 and -2
• Vehicle speeds up to 15 km/h
  ​

Operation

• Wheels, brake discs (axle-mounted brake discs /wheel-mounted brake discs), shoes, linings
• Certification testing (UIC/DIN EN/TSI)
• Simulation of operational scenarios (real rail line/load profiles)
  ​

• 2200 rpm (350 km/h according to a simulating wheel diameter of 890mm)

Operation

Testing and optimisation of

• Wheel slide protection
• Wheel rotating monitoring system (WRM)

Testing of components, e.g.

• Axle speed sensors
• WSP dump valves

• UIC 541-05 
• EN 15595

• Wheel slide protection systems for up to 6 axles
• Maximum speeds up to 500 km/h
• Hardware-in-the-loop testing
• Wheelset simulation via electric motors
• Pneumatic system with air consumption measurement
  ​

Operation

EMC component tests

• Absorber chamber with ferrite absorber lining
• Dimensions: 7.4 m x 3.1 m x 3 m (L x W x H)
• Performance of development-accompanying emissions measurements in the frequency domain of 30 MHz to 1 GHz
• Performance of emissions and radiation-specific immunity measurements taken from a measurement distance of 3 m
• Test receiver/spectrum analyser for tests in accordance with DIN EN 50121-3-2 and regulation no. EMC 06 available
• Power amplifier for development-accompanying immunity tests available

Operation

Static measurements

Tests

• Immunity testing of components (e.g. axle counters, GPE) against magnetic fields
• Calibration of magnetic field probes and magnetometers

Testing area

• Superimposing both fields gives rise to an area with a largely homogeneous magnetic field between both coils near the coil axis that can be freely accessed for experiments.

Operation

• Function tests for components (e.g. doors, couplings, brakes)
• Air conditioning type tests for railway vehicles
• Energy consumption investigations:
  -Analyses and evaluation of environmental control systems (air conditioning systems)
  -Optimisation of thermal comfort
  -Thermography analyses
  -Analyses of components used in climate control and air conditioning systems
  -Determination of the k-value of vehicles
• Simulation of the solar radiation for the drivers´s cab

Testing conditions

• Temperature range in test chamber from -25°C to +45°C
• Snow and icing systems
• Controlled humidification of the chamber air at temperatures higher than +10°C
• Location and time-based consistency of testing condition in accordance with the relevant standards
• Test chamber size up to 75 m x 5 m x 5 m (L x W x H)

Contact

Use

Roller rig for investigating wheel/rail contact

• Out-of-round wheels
• Wheel tread damage due to rolling contact fatigue
• Influence of wheel material
• Influence of wheel profile
• Validation and parametrisation of wheel/rail simulation models
• Testing
• Wheel materials
• Wheel profiles
• New developments for non-destructive testing or diagnostic systems
• Friction modifiers

• Rolling noise
• Curve squeal
• Influence of wheel noise absorbers

Wheelset

• Non-driven and powered wheelsets
• Wheel diameter: 400 to 1,250 mm
• Material and profile: variable

• Underfloor arrangement
• Diameter 2.1 m
• Rail material: R260
• Rail profile/inclination: 60E2 / 1:40

Parameters

• Axle load: up to 340 kN (34 t)
• Lateral force: up to 30 kN
• Speed: up to 300 km/h
• Curves: from 300 m radius up to ∞
• Lubrication or moistening/irrigation possible

Equipment

• Concentricity measurement
• Cross-section measurement
• Axle box accelerometers
• NDT for crack detection

Use

• Cross-section wear
• Rolling contact fatigue (head checks)
• Influence of rail material
• Influence of wheel/rail profile
• Weld joints
• Common crossings / frogs
• Validation and parametrisation of wheel/rail simulation models

Qualification of rails as per DBS 918 254

Testing

• Rail materials
• Rail profiles
• New developments for non-destructive testing or diagnostic systems
• Friction modifiers

Wheel

• Wheel diameter: 800 - 920 mm
• Material and profile: variable

Rail

• Length: 2.8 to 3.6 m
• Material and profile: variable
• Also switches, common crossings / frogs

• 1,000 load cycles/h
• 20,000 gross tonnes/h with 20 t axle load
• Axle load: up to 40 t
• Lateral force: up to 20 kN
• Curves: from 300 m radius up to ∞
• Lubrication or moistening/irrigation possible

Equipment

• 3D geometry measurement
• NDT for crack detection

Use

Linear test rig for investigating wheel/rail contact when applying longitudinal forces

• Cross-section wear
• Rolling contact fatigue (head checks, squats)
• Influence of wheel/rail material, material pairing
• Influence of wheel/rail profile, profile pairing
• Weld joints
• Validation and parametrisation of wheel/rail wear simulation models

Testing

• New rail materials
• Wheel and rail profiles, profile pairing
• New developments for non-destructive testing or diagnostic systems
• Friction modifiers

• Wheel diameter: from 640 – 1,250 mm
• Material and profile: variable

• Length: 1.2 to 1.4 m
• Material and profile: variable

Parameters

• 5,000 load cycles/h
• 100,000 gross tonnes/h at 20 t axle load
• Axle load: up to 40 t
• Longitudinal force: up to 34 kN
• Lateral force: up to 60 kN
• Curves: from 120 m radius up to ∞
• Lubrication or moistening possible

Equipment

• Thermography
• 3D geometry measurement
• NDT for crack detection

Use

Roller rig for wheel and wheelset constructions

• New wheel constructions, also rubber-sprung
• New wheelset constructions
• Variable-gauge wheelsets
• Crack propagation tests on axles
• Testing new developments for non-destructive testing or diagnostic systems

Wheelset

• Non-driven and powered wheelsets
• Wheel diameter: 600 to 1,200 mm
• Profile: cylindrical
• Material: variable

• Underfloor arrangement
• Diameter 2.1 m
• Rail profile: cylindrical

Parameters

• Axle load: up to 340 kN
• Lateral force: up to 80 kN
• Speed: up to 160 km/h
• Programmable load spectrums

Equipment

• Telemetry for strain gauge measurements
• Thermography for rubber-sprung wheel constructions

Operation

• Pantograph

• Forces up to 550 kN
• Frequency range 0 to 20 Hz
• Track profile simulation
  ​

Ultrasonic cracking test for wheelsets 

• Wheelset removed
• Transverse crack testing on wheel rim of wheels with a comparative defect depth from 2 mm
• Radial cracks in the wheel disk of wheels with a comparative defect depth from 2 mm