More cost-effective monitoring technologies for corrosion and fatigue in railroad cars, trucks and ships will ensure safer transport and uninterrupted operation for other important sectors within the economy.
Many sectors of the economy, such as shipping, trade, industry, agriculture and tourism, are based on transport. Vehicles such as trucks, ships and railway wagons have to be in top shape to ensure that these sectors function seamlessly.
The EU-funded 'Cost effective corrosion and fatigue monitoring for transport products' (Corfat) project is developing monitoring equipment to asses fatigue and corrosion in all types of heavy-duty vehicles, based on a technology called acoustic emission testing. By monitoring the kind of sound wave that fatigue, friction and corrosion create, it becomes easier to detect faults and repair them before they become serious. Implementing acoustic emission (AE) technology in maintenance and inspection increases safety and decreases costs.
The project gathered all the experiences and knowledge on mechanisms and effects of corrosion and fatigue occurring during transport from Corfat's project partners. Based on international inspection rules, established standards, partner expertise and test results, the team was able to develop requirements for hardware and software to elaborate the new monitoring instruments.
Specific lab tests related to corrosion and fatigue were developed and validated by different Corfat project partners. Corrosion and fatigue cracks were induced in specimens for testing, and relevant data from these were stored in a database of results and observations. The tests were very successful in differentiating between AE – or noise – caused by corrosion or fatigue from background noise.
One of the main benefits of AE monitoring is being able to quickly identify during servicing hot spots where most of the degradation takes place, so as to obtain early warning signs. This feature and the new technology overall helps minimise downtime during inspection, which saves costs and makes transport more efficient. By keeping the wheels of the transport sector properly oiled, figuratively speaking, the other sectors that depend on it will run more smoothly. This creates a positive domino effect on the economy and industry in general, while both the safety of people and goods will be enhanced.
The EU-funded 'Cost effective corrosion and fatigue monitoring for transport products' (Corfat) project is developing monitoring equipment to asses fatigue and corrosion in all types of heavy-duty vehicles, based on a technology called acoustic emission testing. By monitoring the kind of sound wave that fatigue, friction and corrosion create, it becomes easier to detect faults and repair them before they become serious. Implementing acoustic emission (AE) technology in maintenance and inspection increases safety and decreases costs.
The project gathered all the experiences and knowledge on mechanisms and effects of corrosion and fatigue occurring during transport from Corfat's project partners. Based on international inspection rules, established standards, partner expertise and test results, the team was able to develop requirements for hardware and software to elaborate the new monitoring instruments.
Specific lab tests related to corrosion and fatigue were developed and validated by different Corfat project partners. Corrosion and fatigue cracks were induced in specimens for testing, and relevant data from these were stored in a database of results and observations. The tests were very successful in differentiating between AE – or noise – caused by corrosion or fatigue from background noise.
One of the main benefits of AE monitoring is being able to quickly identify during servicing hot spots where most of the degradation takes place, so as to obtain early warning signs. This feature and the new technology overall helps minimise downtime during inspection, which saves costs and makes transport more efficient. By keeping the wheels of the transport sector properly oiled, figuratively speaking, the other sectors that depend on it will run more smoothly. This creates a positive domino effect on the economy and industry in general, while both the safety of people and goods will be enhanced.
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