EDDY-CURRENT DETECTION OF HEAD CHECKS ON THE GAUGE CORNERS OF RAILS: RECENT RESULTS

Abstract

Deutsche Bahn's track network is subjected to very high levels of operational stress. High train speeds and heavy axle loads are the critical factors affecting the service life of the rails. This places increasing demands on the rail technology used and has tightened the requirements that need to be met by non-destructive material testing techniques. For example, defects occurring at or near the surface of rails can be a major cause of component failure and therefore require a test method that is specially designed to detect rail defects of this type. A major consideration for safety inspections of the permanent way is the speed with which the rails can be scanned. Today, rail test vehicles are available which enable rail defects to be detected and analysed at speeds of up to 100 km/h. For the covering abstract see ITRD E123761.