Rail Car Research Articles

Application of robotics in rail car manufacturing learning factory: A case of welding complex joints

Abstract The use of a learning factory creates a platform for putting to use research innovations, directly into industrial practice. Railcar manufacturers are migrating to fully automated and innovative solutions with industrial welding robot systems playing a pivotal role in the paradigm shift for tasks such as the production of bogie frames and their components. Furthermore, the skills required for bringing about the automation of dangerous and dirty task in the railcar industry are scarce. There is pressure from stakeholders on how researchers and manufacturers can be more efficient in developing a theoretical and practical application framework for a real-time production in the railcar manufacturing industry. Therefore, researchers must look for ways to transfer and demonstrate the application of robotics research in the shop floor with causing disruptions. In addition, there is a need to develop appropriate and customised skill transfer solutions for both smaller and large business owners especially for tasks that are boring for humans. This paper presents an offline-line scheme for building robotic arc welding cell using device task definition and workbenches of the Delmia V5 Robotics, within the learning factory framework.

EEG control variable algorithm and motion control strategy for toy rail car

For training the thought concentration ability of hyperactivity sufferers, this paper proposed a kind of electroencephalogram (EEG) control variable extraction method and the motion control strategy. Firstly, the technologies of EEG acquisition from frontal lobe, and the wireless data transmission from the acquisition card to the Pad Phone were realised. Then, through the wavelet Mallat algorithm and FFT to extract the EEG control variable, the accurate controls of start, stop, and running velocity of the toy rail car were implemented. Thirdly, the mathematical model between the velocity and the EEG control variable was established, and then the start threshold, the swerve control and the speed adjust method were accurately designed using this model, so that the delay start and the swerve speed were solved. In addition, the wireless data transmissions among the Pad Phone, the EEG acquisition module and the railelectric potential controller were realised. Finally, it was proved that the proposed EEG control variables and the control strategy effectively fulfil the accurate speed control and the stable motion control.

Energy efficiency analysis modelling system for manufacturing in the context of industry 4.0

Emerging rise in power costs and sustainability of the available energy has prompted industries to seek alternative solutions that could address energy consumption as the second highest contributor to business expenditure compared to salaries and rentals. Regrettably, numerous industries are still reluctant to benefit from the opportunities that exist on energy saving and consciousness, due to inadequate knowledge on energy management, resources and tools to monitor the losses. Based on these facts, this paper proposed the Energy Efficiency Analysis Modelling System (EEAMS) as a tool to provide an estimate of energy costs using rail car manufacturing plant load profiles as a case study, to provide consumer-oriented analysis to produce first-cut energy efficient program baseline costs. Furthermore, the exploration of energy efficiency baseline may benefit the life cycle cost of the overall proposed facility through energy efficient means of production, and continuous improvement practises in big data analytics towards reduction of energy costs significantly through integration of energy efficiency software (EES). To achieve this, a bottom-up approach methodology was adopted, using information on energy cost as a baseline to allow centralisation and cloud hosting of data through a web-based interacting energy efficiency sustainability framework platform, to determine the economic impacts of energy measurement and verification on energy consumption and environment. Minimum Efficiency Performance Standards established to provide opportunities for the support of the rail car manufacturing company to prepare themselves for the issuing of certificates for energy management (ISO50001).

Marketing Positions of Kremenchuk Industrial Center in International Markets

In the article, the authors analyze the role of Kremenchuk as an industrial center. It is determined that Kremenchuk is represented by such flagships machine building enterprises as PJSC “Kryukiv Rail Car Plant”, PJSC “AvtoKrAZ”, PJSC “Kredmash”, PJSC “Kremenchuk Wheel Plant”, PJSC “Kremenchuk Steel Works”. Therefore, the author proposes to carry out the marketing positioning of the Kremenchuk industrial center on the international market, which includes powerful enterprises. The financial economic and marketing activity of machine-building enterprises - members of the Kremenchuk industrial center is analyzed. Through the dialectical connection of methods of analogy and deduction, the stages of development of marketing positioning for the center are proposed for expanding international sales markets for enterprises, marketing positioning is realized by developing a set of marketing tools. It is determined that the effective positioning of the Kremenchuk industrial center will lead to the formation of the brand.

Production and Application of Advanced Composite Materials in Rail Cars Development: Prospect in South African Industry

The business hub of any society in the developed and/or developing nations are characterized by constantly growing population, which is a result of industrialization and urbanization. This growth often necessitates infrastructural development (better, safer, faster and cheaper means of transportation of goods and services), high energy demand and environmental decay (high emission of carbon dioxide (CO2) into the atmosphere leading global warming). In order to resolve the problems, there is a need to develop improved lightweight polymeric composite materials, which can be used in the construction and transportation industries. The research focused on developing natural fiber reinforced recycled polypropylene (PP) nanocomposites. The fiber was treated with 5% alkaline solution for 2 hours at 60 oC in a vacuum oven. The fiber (10, 20, 30 and 40 %wt), nanoclay (1, 3, 5 %wt) and compatibilizer were melt blend with the recycled PP. Based on the results, it was observed that fiber treatment, increasing fiber contents and nanoparticles increased the overall strength and thermal stability of the prepared composites. The rate of moisture absorption was equally enhanced. The material developed can be used to produce seats and backrest for passage train and other interior part of the passenger train.

A Learning Factory concept for skills enhancement in rail car manufacturing industries

Abstract Rail manufacturing industries plays a key role in various countries by developing cost effective transportation solutions that could be used more efficiently to provide movement of freight and passengers. To date, the sector has experienced an increase in technological investments that are fundamental in driving efficiencies, better managed operations as well as offer passenger-focused-services (PFS) through industry 4.0 initiatives. Despite this wave of innovative technologies, the rail industry is struggling to bring them into full fruition due to a significant skills shortage. While various learning factories have been established both in industry and academia in the last decades, there is a need to interlink the activities within these various learning factories in order to address skill shortages. This paper aims at developing that link which will bridge the gap by establishing a state of the art learning factory (LF) concept that incorporates strategic initiatives such as customised training programmes and hands on experience to benefit graduates from various engineering disciplines in order to be ready for industry. Various concepts were developed and selected using decision matrix processes through the allocation of certain scores and ratings on each criterion as well as of synthesis of this rating using the standard procedures obtained through the application of Pugh Matrix, in order to select the most optimum LF design concept. In addition, a systematic layout planning (SLP) approach was used to analyse the sequence of operation performed within the proposed LF concept as well as understanding the relationship between the various workstations. The results reveal the chosen concept which the most suitable characteristics in LF design for the rail manufacturing industry. Lastly various projects were proposed in order to determine the performance of student group within the proposed LF concept.

Investigation of Distortion, Stress and Temperature Distribution during Assembly of the Suspension System of a Rail Car

In this study the amount of distortion as well as stress and temperature distribution during the welding assembly of the suspension system of a rail car was investigated using numerical experiment. The welding parameters for the welding process of the suspension system of the rail car is given as: voltage (24 V), current (220 A), speed (0.005 m/s), arc length (0.01 m) and efficiency (0.9). This serves as the input parameters into ANSYS and Simufact software version 7.2 for the simulation of the arc welding process at ambient temperature of 25oC. The simulation results obtained from both software indicates that the amount of distortion is significant. The results also indicate that the relationship between flow and residual stresses with corresponding temperature is critical in evaluating the integrity of weld as residual stresses can bring about weld crack, corrosion, fatigue, corrosion or distortion. The simulation of the welding process ensures better understanding of the welding processes and helps in the reduction of the number of expensive as well as time-consuming trial runs. Furthermore, optimized welding processes results in the development of reliable weld joints and shorter welding cycles via efficient process development.

Development and Simulation of Isotropic Hardening for AISI 1035 Weld Stress Prediction during Design and Welding Assembly of Lower Brackets of Rail Cars

Residual stresses through plastic deformation during the assembly operation of a rail car can cause cracks, distortion or other associated welding flaws if not checked. This study considers the use of analytical and numerical methods involving the simulation of isotropic hardening models for the prediction of AISI 1035 weld residual stresses during the arc welding assembly of the lower brackets of a rail car. Using the isotropic hardening model as well as the ABAQUS simulation software, the dynamic simulation of the gas metal arc welding process was performed at ambient temperature of 25oC over varying temperatures. The thermal modelling of the weld pass was carried out followed by the determination of the stress and strain values from the combined thermal elastic-plastic analysis. The results obtained indicated that the predictive ability of the isotropic model is highly significant, with the values of the weld stress and corresponding strain agreeing closely with the experimental values over varying ranges of temperatures. Hence, the isotropic hardening model can be used for weld residual stress simulation and prediction. Future work can consider the combination of both the isotropic and kinematic models.

Investigating the Thermal Properties of Carbon Steel STKM13a for the Welding Assembly of Rail Car Suspension System

The welding operation is a complex process, which requires appropriate control of process parameters as well as good understanding of the mechanical and thermal properties of the weld material. In this study, the effect of the thermal properties of carbon steel STKM13A for the welding assembly of rail car suspension system was investigated using the Simufact software in order to minimize weld distortion, structural defects and optimize the welding process, weld sequence, paths and clamping concept. The welding parameters for the simulation process of the welding assembly of the suspension system of the rail car are as follow: voltage (24 V), current (220 A), speed (0.01 m/s), arc length (0.05 m) and efficiency (0.9). This serves as the input parameters into Simufact software version 7.2 for the simulation of the arc welding process at ambient temperature of 25°C to melting temperature of 1500°C. Also, in order to study the effect of thermal conductivity on the welding process, the thermal modelling was carried out at room temperature to melting temperatures (25-1500°C) using the values of three critical parameters namely; specific heat (700 J/kgK), thermal conductivity (40 W/m.K) and coefficient of thermal expansion (1.5 × 10-5K-1) as input parameters into the software. The analysis of results obtained indicate that the three parameters are critical as they affect welding processes significantly hence should be controlled to promote safe, reliable and efficient welding processes.

Investigating the effect of carbon steel STKM 13a thermal and electrical properties during welding assembly of the lower brackets of a rail car

Welding is a complex process requiring combination of several process parameters. In this study, the effect of the thermal and electrical properties of carbon steel STKM13A during the welding assembly of rail car suspension system was investigated using numerical experiment. The welding parameters for the welding simulation process of the suspension system of the rail car are given as the following: voltage (24 V), current (220 A), speed (0.005 m/s), arc length (0.01 m), and efficiency (0.9). This serves as the input parameters into Simufact software version 7.2 for the simulation of the arc welding process at ambient temperature of 25 °C. Also, in order to study the effect of thermal and electrical conductivity on the welding process, the thermal and electrical modeling was carried out at room temperature to melting temperatures (25–1500 °C) using the average values of three critical parameters, namely specific heat (700 J/kg K), thermal conductivity (40 W/m K), coefficient of thermal expansion (1.5 × 10−5 K−1), electrical conductivity (2.5×10−7 − 1.14 × 10−6Ωm), and resistivity (4.0×10−6 − 8.77 × 105Ωm−1), as input parameters into the software. The statistical analysis of the results obtained brought about the development of a model that correlates electrical resistivity as function of the welding parameters for the optimization of welding process. In addition, the five input parameters are critical as they affect welding processes significantly, hence should be controlled to promote safe, reliable, and efficient welding processes.

THE ANALYSIS OF EXISTING APPROACHES TO CALCULATING TRAFFIC SAFETY CRITERIA IN THE RAILWAY SECTOR

The subject matter of the article is the methods for determining the safety parameters to prevent wheel derailment. The object of the study is the interaction of a rail track and rolling stock. The goal of the paper is to study of approaches that are used by domestic and foreign scientists to assess the protection against wheel derailment and to study the analytical conditions for the wheel flange rolling onto the rail top, which are the criteria of protection against derailment which are considered while expertizing the railway transport. The methods used in this work are the system, logical and historical approaches; analysis and synthesis, induction and deduction; modelling. The tasks of the article are as follows: to analyze the methods for determining the safety criteria from wheel derailment; to evaluate the importance of all methods and approaches, to identify their disadvantages and advantages, to make recommendations for improving the method of assessing the stability of rail vehicles on the railways of Ukraine. Results. The works of domestic and foreign scientists, which are devoted to the issue of assessing the protection against the wheel derailment were analyzed. It has been established that in order to approximate the results of mathematical modelling of rolling stock to the actual operating conditions, the task of the wheelset derailing from the track should be performed using dynamic equations of spatial oscillations. It was proposed to take into account the analytical conditions for wheel flange rolling onto the rail top, which were proposed by E. Sokol, the Doctor of Technical Sciences, when expertizing the railway transport. Conclusions . Most of the considered methods estimate the probability of a wheelset derailment without taking into account the influence of other wheelsets, which can lead to erroneous results. It has been established that in order to approximate the results of theoretical calculations to the experimental data, the problem of the wheel derailment should be solved using the equations of spatial oscillations of a rail car.

ON THE IMPACT OF THE CHARACTERISTICS OF ROLLING STOCK ON SHUNTING RESISTANCE OF RAIL CIRCUITS

For the English full text of the article please see the attached PDF-File (English version follows Russian version).ABSTRACT The effect of a combination of rolling stock characteristics, including wheel set electrical resistance, axle/wheel load, vehicle speed, electrical resistance of «wheel-rail» contact, has been studied. The data of three reference vehicles - a biaxial rail car, a four-axle conventional and a four-axle high-speed locomotive were studied. Two approaches are used which are deterministic and probabilistic ones (Monte Carlo method). On their basis, the process of detecting static and dynamic shunts for three ranges of speeds of movement and two degrees of rail pollution with an insulating film is provided. Keywords: railway, rail circuit, track circuit, electrical resistance, static shunt, dynamic shunt, rolling stock.

One-block train formation in large-scale railway networks: An exact model and a tree-based decomposition algorithm

We investigate the one-block train formation problem (TFP) in the railway freight transportation industry. The input to this problem is a railway network and a set of demands for transportation. Each demand is a request for shipping a number of rail cars from one station to another. The one-block TFP now addresses two subproblems in the tactical level: Which pairs of stations are directly connected via a block (or: train service); and which demands are transported by each block. The aim is to service all demands against minimal costs. Moving beyond current researches on service network design, the unitary rule and the intree rule are taken into account in this study based on the Chinese railway background. We develop a linear binary programming formulation to minimize the total sum of train accumulation costs and car classification costs, subject to limitations on the classification capacity and the number of sort tracks at each station. Furthermore, we propose a novel solution methodology that applies a tree-based decomposition algorithm. Here, we first decompose the whole network into a series of rooted trees for each destination separately. Then, we divide the trees further into sufficiently small subtrees, whose size is regulated by a node size parameter. Finally, we construct a restricted linear binary model for each subtree and solve these models sequentially to find their optimal solutions. The algorithm ensures that an overall feasible solution is obtained if one exists. Our computational results on a realistic network from the Chinese railway system with 83 stations, 158 links and 5700 randomly generated demands show that the proposed algorithm can derive high-quality solutions within a few hours of computation time. These solutions are on average 48.05% better than those obtained after solving the linear binary program with a commercial solver for 1 day.

Optimization of welding parameters using Taguchi and response surface methodology for rail car bracket assembly

Arc welding can be used to weld the components of rail car brackets during assembly operation. In this study, the welding parameters, namely voltage, current, speed, and arc length, were optimized using the Taguchi method and response surface methodology (RSM). A predictive model was thereafter obtained that correlates the weld distortion and hardness as a function of the welding parameters. The experimental design which consists of Taguchi orthogonal array of L9, three level-four factor matrix was used as input parameters to determine the weld distortion and hardness while the RSM was used to study the cross effect (interaction) of various process parameters on the weld distortion. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to further test and validate the developed model for adequacy and the regression model was found to be highly significant at 95% confidence level as correlation coefficients were very close to 1. The results obtained also show high degree of convergence of the welded components with changes in welding parameters indicating that weld distortion is kept within the permissible range. This will reduce the production cost and increase the quality as well as the reliability of weld during welding processes.

Principles of the Feedback Action in Local Elements of Rail Yard Interaction

Achievement of high-quality servicing level of cargo owners should be carried out under unconditionally effective use of rolling stock of railways and technical means. The real transport process should be implemented based on logistic cargo supply chains by types of connections for each shipment. The practice of railway operation shows that there is a significant shortage of train locomotives as a result of which the departure of ready trains at rail yard is often not carried out. In such cases, a feedback effect in local elements of interaction of these stations occurs. Due to delay in departure of trains, sending of already formed trains from rail yards is delayed; furthermore, because of the overflow of rail yard tracks, the sorting process on marshalling humps can be slowed down and delay of prepared trains for dismantling at arrival yard may occur. As a result of feedback action, downtimes of rail cars are increasing and movement of inventories is slowing down. In order to mitigate feedbacks effects in local elements of interaction, the principles of their operation, consideration of which will enable acceleration in passage of the rail car and cargo traffic through the railway network in practical activity, were formulated.

Rail transportation planning in the chemical industry

Rail transports of raw and intermediate materials are cornerstones in chemical logistics. In this paper a multi-commodity rail inventory transportation planning problem for chemicals is proposed. The aim is to generate transportation plans for chemicals and rail cars such that product demands are fulfilled and total logistics cost is minimized. To solve the problem, heuristics based on a rolling-horizon decomposition are proposed. A case study illustrates the applicability of the heuristics. The results show that near-optimal solutions can be generated quickly by the heuristics. Thus, an instrument is offered to transport managers which helps them to optimize chemical logistics processes.

Flexible and Adaptable Learning Factories for the Rail Car Manufacturing industry

As the need for a skilled labor force in the manufacturing domain increases in South Africa, particularly the rail car manufacturing industry it is upon academia to provide engineers who will quickly adapt and function upon employment for this industry to become a success. The challenge faced in education to produce relevant future employees has been struck by filling in the gap that causes misalignment between academia and industry. Learning factories however play a critical role in ensuring the production of future engineers from academia to the workplace. The main challenge is the mismatch between industry and academia and there is a need to bridge that gap. The aim of the research therefore is to develop a flexible learning factory that can be used in bridging the gap between institutions of higher learning and railcar manufacturing activities. A critical review on learning factories and reconfigurable systems was made to identify the gap and develop the learning factory that addresses the gap. Also a visit to industry complemented the research through one on one contact with railcar manufactures. The results show a developed learning factory that can be used in equipping graduates with the knowledge required in industry, particularly the railcar manufacturing industry. A specific area in the railcar (bogie) was identified as the key area that was considered in the development

Experimental study on abrasive water jet machining of AA5083 in a range of thicknesses

The objective of this study is to present the optimal machining parameters for abrasive water jet machining (AWJM) of Aluminium alloy 5083 (AA5083) by employing artificial neural networks (ANN) modelling for various material thicknesses. Al 5083 alloy finds vast applications in ship building, rail cars, and vehicle bodies and exclusively for cryogenic applications. The experimental work was carried out by using Taguchi L18 orthogonal array to study the influence of the process parameters such as jet diameter, stand-off distance and abrasive flow rate for various ranges of thicknesses over the process yields namely material removal rate (mrr), surface roughness and taper error. Technological table for optimal machining of AA5083 alloy in AWJM was reported for ready to use in industry.

PROTOCOL: The effects of road infrastructure, and transport and logistics services interventions on women's participation in informal and formal labour markets in low- and middle-income countries: a systematic review.

PROTOCOL: The effects of road infrastructure, and transport and logistics services interventions on women's participation in informal and formal labour markets in low- and middle-income countries: a systematic review.

Fire simulation in a full-scale Bilevel rail car: Experimental analysis to assess passenger safety

Fire simulation in a full-scale Bilevel rail car: Experimental analysis to assess passenger safety