The laboratory provides a series of specialized test rigs designed designed for the testing and the characterization of several subsystems in both, rail vehicle (axle, pantograph, bogie frame) and rail infrastructures (sleepers, insulated rail joints, fastening system). The wide range of general-purpose hydraulic actuators and the great number of measurement devices allows the laboratory to the development of custom designed setups for testing great number of rail subcomponents such as springs, silent blocks, air spring. Moreover, the laboratory is capable of conducting in-line testing to asset dynamic behavior, comfort and aerodynamic of vehicles according to several European standard.

INSTRUMENTS & FACILITIES

• Bogie test-rig: reconfigurable test-rig for the testing of bogie frame, bolster and other vehicle components
• Dynamometric wheelset test-rig: characterization and calibration of dynamometric wheelsets.
• Pantograph test-rig: hardware in the loop device for the characterization of instrumented pantograph
• Current Collection Test Bench (CCTB): tests on pantograph collector strips reproducing the real electromechanical contact during operation
• Axle test-rig: study of the rotating bending fatigue and crack propagation phenomena on axles
• Sleeper test-rig: test rig equipped with 1000 kN dynamic actuator for homologation tests on main typology of sleepers
• Insulated rail joints testing machine: custom designed bi-axial machine for testing insulated rail joints
• The laboratory can rely on a great number of measurement calibrated instruments, signal conditioner and acquisition systems

ACTIVITIES

Dynamometric Wheelset Characterization

• Static characterization a wheelset or, more in general a bogie, properly instrumented to measure the contact forces
• Real boundary conditions both at the contact interface (UIC60 cant angle 1/20) and at the axle-boxes (mounting on the test-rig of the entire bogie)
• Direct measurement of the three components of the contact forces acting on each wheel
• High variety of applicable loads (up to 150 kN per wheel in vertical, 40 kN in lateral and 20kN in longitudinal direction) and their combinations

Structural Rail Components Testing

• Performs static, dynamic and fatigue tests on railway bogies and/or their components according to the international standard EN 13749
• Reconfigurable layout to allow the housing of all types of bogies currently in circulation on railways, metro, and tramways
• Possibility to control simultaneously a variable number of hydraulic actuators (up to 14) with different ranges of applicable loads up to a maximum of 1000kN

Pantograph Characterization

• Allows the characterization of pantographs reproducing the dynamic interaction with the catenary
• Possibility to replicate the stagger geometry and pantograph velocity
• Separate application of the loads in vertical direction for the two collector stripes
• Real time hardware in the loop control to simulate the real interaction between the pantograph and a simulated catenary

Rotating Bending Fatigue on Axles

• Imposes a variable load to the central section of the axle while rotating reproducing the conditions needed for axles fatigue testing
• Maximum rotation speed 600 rpm
• Maximum load 250kN with the possibility to impose load spectra to the axle
• Possibility to run tests in harsh environmental conditions to reproduce corrosion effects

Insulated Rail Joints Testing

• Biaxial testing facility for the simultaneous application of longitudinal tractive sand vertical loads
• Maximum longitudinal load 1000 kN and maximum vertical load 500kN
• Possibility to measure displacements and deformation along the specimen under test

Current Collection Test Bench (CCTB)

• Wear tests on pantograph collector strips reproducing at best the real operation conditions
• Maximum electrical current: 1100A DC, 350 A AC 50 Hz and 16.6Hz
• Maximum relative speed between collector strip and contact wire: 210km/h
• Reproduction of thermal effects due to the air flow produced by the vehicle speed in real operation