Dapco specializes in the design and development of nondestructive ultrasonic railway wheel inspection systems. These systems are used to inspect railway wheels/wheel sets for subsurface flaws utilizing proprietary technology with the ultimate goal of preventing derailments and service failures. The systems can be arranged and optimized to meet AAR, ISO, EN, or company standards,
Dapco offers two different railway wheel inspections systems, each specifically designed to meet the varied wheel inspection needs of today’s Class I, Short Line and Passenger Railroads.
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WAYSIDE WHEEL INSPECTION
The Dapco Wayside Cracked Wheel Detection System uses a conventional ultrasonic approach to dynamically inspect railway wheels at train speeds of up to 5mph (8km/h). The main function of the patented Dapco Wayside Ultrasonic Cracked Wheel Detector is to verify the integrity of the rail wheel by ultrasonically inspecting the wheels to determine the presence of internal defects. The system provides real-time assessment and reporting of flaw type, size, and location in and across the tread and rim of the wheel.
The original prototype system was installed at the Transportation Technology Center (TTCI) in early 2006. In 2008, Dapco began working with the Union Pacific Railroad to install an Ultrasonic Cracked Wheel Detector at the Bailey Yard in North Platte, NE.
The Union Pacific Cracked Wheel Detector represents the latest evolution of the Dapco Wheel System Technology, featuring many design modifications, new features and increased functionality since the installation of the prototype system at TTCI.
The commissioning of the Union Pacific Cracked Wheel Detector represents a milestone in the railroad industry. This is the first wayside wheel inspection system that can directly mitigate the risk and costs associated with internal wheel defects.
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STATIONARY WHEEL INSPECTION
The Dapco Stationary Wheel Inspection System was adapted from the wayside wheel inspection technology deployed at TTCI and at the Union Pacific Railroad.
The Stationary Wheel Inspection system is an off-line application for inspecting rail wheels/wheel sets for possible sub-surface cracks. The system is typically located in a maintenance/wheel shop facility. We offer the system in multiple configurations to meet the client’s needs. We also have the ability to directly integrate the ultrasonic inspection system into wheel truing/profiling machine operations, saving time and reducing operating costs.
Integrating the Dapco Ultrasonic Wheel Inspection system into the profiling operation allows the end user to inspect the wheel either before or after the profiling operation. Having this added feature provides the rolling stock engineering groups with the flexibilty needed to find the type of defects that cause broken wheel derailments. We have recently installed multiple systems for Amtrak and have formed a Strategic Partnership with Simmons Machine Tool Corporation for use with the Simmons Stanray and Hegenscheidt U2000-400 underfloor wheel profiling machines.
