Ensure your rail components can endure the toughest conditions. Combining over 75 years of railway expertise and a global network of state-of-the-art labs, Element’s wide range of rail component testing services include fatigue testing, failure analysis, and the exclusive AREMA Chapter 30 test 6 train simulator. Partner with us for a comprehensive approach to mechanical and material testing, for your rail components.
What is Rail Component Testing?
Rail component testing is a comprehensive evaluation to ensure success under real-world operational conditions. This process examines mechanical properties such as hardness, tensile strength, and impact resistance, alongside microstructural analysis to identify phase compositions, grain size, and defects.
Advanced techniques like spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and X-ray diffraction (XRD) assess chemical composition and structural integrity. Our experts can also delve into non-destructive testing methods such as ultrasonic testing and magnetic particle inspection to detect internal and surface flaws.
By rigorously analyzing these properties alongside functional use, we help predict your rail infrastructure's performance, durability, and safety, ensuring compliance with industry standards and regulatory requirements.
Benefits of Rail Component Testing with Element
- Safety Assurance: Our testing solutions ensure the safety and reliability of your rail components under real world conditions. Test in our state-of-the-art rail component testing facilities, equipped with unique frames and capabilities, including our one-of-a-kind AREMA Chapter 30 test 6 train simulator.
- Early Defect Detection: Minimize the risk of accidents or failures by identifying potential weaknesses in materials early in the development or manufacturing process. Our advanced testing techniques, ensure rapid and precise detection of defects, significantly enhancing safety and reliability.
- Meet Industry Standards: Ensure global compliance with industry regulations and standards. Our experts are well-versed in navigating complex regulations, ensuring legal compliance, and maintaining the integrity of your rail systems.
- Accelerate Time-to-Market: Accelerate the testing and validation process to bring your rail products to market faster and gain a competitive edge. Our industry-dedicated experts and streamlined testing services help reduce lead times and ensure efficient project delivery.
- Cost Reduction: Identify potential issues in your rail products at an early stage, minimize the need for costly repairs, and prevent unexpected downtime. Our advanced testing methods, such as magnetic particle testing and microstructure analysis, enable you to pinpoint weaknesses before they escalate into major problems - ensuring that your rail infrastructure remains reliable and cost-effective in the long run.
Comprehensive Insights for Informed Decisions
Gain comprehensive insights into your product's strength and durability through tests such as impact, hardness, and tensile testing. By identifying potential weaknesses and areas for improvement, we help you understand your rail materials' mechanical properties – enabling informed decisions. Enhance the resilience of your rail infrastructure and operational efficiency, and reinforce the safety and reliability of rail networks, ultimately contributing to improved customer satisfaction and a stronger reputation.
Support Sustainability
Our experts recognize the importance of sustainability. It's not just about fulfilling corporate social responsibility; it's also about saving costs and running your operations more efficiently. Prioritizing sustainability means minimizing environmental impact while maintaining quality. Our rail component testing is crucial in achieving these goals, ensuring that your rail infrastructure lasts longer and stays reliable. By carefully examining rail materials, we pinpoint weaknesses and areas needing improvement, allowing you to reduce material waste and reduce unnecessary replacements and repairs. By extending the lifespan of your rail products and reducing maintenance needs, our rail component testing services help you make the most out of your resources, supporting your sustainability objectives.
Rail Component Testing – our capabilities
We provide thorough testing services for rail components such as ties, fasteners, and seats. Our laboratories are equipped with state-of-the-art tools to tackle the most demanding challenges in the industry. To make testing more convenient, we can conduct multiple tests simultaneously and make use of a full-service train simulator. Our testing services cover a wide range of capabilities including:
- Advanced numerical modelling
- Calibration testing
- Clean Steel Evaluation (Impurity Detection)
- Composite and plastic testing
- Erosion inspection
- Finite element analysis simulation
- Full Spectrum Chemical Composition Analysis
- Hardness Testing
- Impact Testing
- Longitudinal Restraint Test
- Macrostructure Analysis (Defect Detection)
- Magnetic Particle Inspection
- Martensite Evaluation (Per Weld)
- Metallography
- Microstructure Analysis
- Particle analysis
- Repeated Load Test
- Residual Stress Measurement
- Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM)
- Spectroscopy
- Structural testing
- Tensile Testing
- Tribology and wear pattern analysis
- Vertical load testing
- Vertical Restraint Test
Why Choose Element?
Element’s testing capabilities, combined with our extensive industry knowledge, position us as the perfect testing partner for your rail projects. Spanning markets globally, Element’s state-of-the-art material and rail component testing facilities boast unique frames and capabilities, including our one-of-a-kind AREMA Chapter 30 test 6 train simulator.
Our industry-dedicated rail experts have invaluable experience with rail component and materials testing, and supportive failure analysis services, helping you determine the condition of a component or the integrity of an entire system and ensure your product and fleet achieve optimal performance.
No matter your rail project requirements, we are dedicated to ensuring that your products, materials, and processes are safe, effective, and fit for purpose. Contact the team today for more information on us or our testing services.
What is railway steel made from?
The main component of railway steel is usually carbon steel, which is an alloy of iron and carbon – combined with other elements to enhance the strength, hardness, and corrosion resistance (e.g manganese). This allows the steel to be strong enough to withstand heavy loads, deal with wear, and remain strong in a range of environmental conditions.
Case Study: Hitachi Rail Europe
HRE were seeking a specialist partner to provide fire testing to support their programme to provide rolling stock for the UK Government’s £5.7b Intercity Express Programme (IEP). READ MOREReplication Metallography: A Non-Destructive SolutionÂ
Element discusses replication metallography as a non-destruction solution to metallurgical evaluation.
Read MORERelated Services
Rail Testing
Element offers comprehensive rail testing services to meet every need, from metallurgical evaluation to custom weld testing and train simulation.
Rail Infrastructure Testing
Railway infrastructure services include analyzing your rail network infrastructure to ensure they meet the required standards and are fit-for-purpose.
Rolling Stock Inspection
Element's rolling stock rail inspection services focus on the condition of in-service vehicles incorporating a component, system, or entire train to deliver an independent view of its relative condition against expectation.
Railroad Failure Analysis
Element's dedicated rail testing experts work with you through every step of the process, helping you understand defects and failures before further damage occurs.