Stand for testing rail butt welds

ZBM ULTRA has automated a stationary stand for testing rail butt welds after reprofiling during the technological process. The tests are carried out using angle probes applied to the running surface of the rails. The tandem and transmission techniques are used. The station consists of a flaw detector, blocks of ultrasonic probes mounted on a movable arm and a control and archiving computer program.
The test at the stand is performed automatically – the rail weld is set on rollers under the probes in the technological process. The operator’s task is to set the frame with ultrasonic probes in the middle of the weld, enter the test parameters into the computer program and start it. Probes move in the tandem and transmission mode at the appropriate distance from each other automatically. The computer program records the entire course of the test and evaluates the indications. The automatic lowering and raising of the probes is operated from the controller level. The report after the test is available in the program for printing.
It is possible to prepare an analogous system in a portable version for manual tests.