01.01.07
New rail bearing test facilties at Schaeffler
Schaeffler Group Industrial has extended its railway bearing test bay at its Schweinfurt FAG site with new test rigs for wheel set bearings. This will enable the company to carry out testing in compliance with European standard DIN EN 12082, which specifies the basic guidelines and procedures for testing the performance capability of wheel set bearings in original housings to verify their suitability for railroad applications.
Schaeffler, with its INA and FAG brands, is a leading manufacturer of rolling and plain bearings. The company has more than 100 years’ experience in the rail industry, with applications including axle box bearings and housings; bearings and components for traction motors and gearboxes; railcar connectors; tilting technology; and bearings for train doors.
The new test rigs at Schweinfurt will play a key role in the quality assurance of wheel set bearings. At Schaeffler Schweinfurt alone, the test bay occupies 7,000 square metres. There are currently more than 100 different types of test rigs for bearings of various designs, sizes and applications. These test the functionality of complete assembled bearings, specific individual components, materials and lubricants.
Some test rigs are used to undertake basic research activities. These help to verify the calculated service life of bearings in practical operation. For example, there are test rigs for testing the influence of lubricant films and the role of micro-pitting to help diagnose bearing damage and wear.
Other test rigs have more specific tasks. For example, the AN44 wheel bearing brake test rig can be used to examine the influence of a red hot brake disc on wheel bearings and the respective lubricant. And the dynamic, real-time L40 test rig can be used to simulate load peaks resulting from potholes.
With increasingly complex operating demands and more strict safety standards in the rail industry, Schaeffler’s largest test rig, AN46, can simulate running speeds of up to 550 km/h and wind speeds of up to 180 km/h. The examinations conducted on this test rig contribute to considerable increases in the service life and maintenance intervals of rolling bearings.
Depending on the operating conditions, maintenance free operation of 800,000km is standard today for rail vehicles in long distance traffic. Up to 1.2 million kilometres can be achieved under favourable conditions. This performance standard and the new findings from in house tests are important factors which have contributed to Schaeffler Group’s status as a certified partner and supplier to railway operators and rail authorities worldwide.
By using the AN46 test stand, it is possible to simulate entire line profiles and therefore analyse the impact of significant factors which influence the condition of wheelset bearings. It is used to test tapered and cylindrical roller bearings in their original housings.. The load is applied to the housing via springs on the test rig and it is possible to measure housing deformation and the resulting influence on the bearing. The test cycles go far beyond the requirements specified in the European standard EN 12082.
During the test run, temperatures in the bearings and housing surfaces are monitored at the zones where hot-box detectors will conduct measurements during operation. Additional monitoring detects possible damage at an early stage. After the tests are complete, the bearings and their components are checked in detail. The results provide information about the wheelset bearings’ performance under the intended operating conditions.
The performance capability and the results of these specific railway bearing test rigs are also recognised by independent parties. The accreditation obtained from DAR, the German accreditation council, confirms Schaeffler’s competence to “carry out performance testing for wheel set bearings – railway applications in compliance with DIN EN ISO/IEC 17025:2005”. The accreditation, valid until December 2009, grants the railway bearing test centre the status of an independent laboratory.
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