New Axle-Box test Rigs (MEB) At the SNCF Railway Test Agency (AEF), a Eurailtest Partner Laboratory

Eurailtest’s partner laboratory, the Railway Test Agency (AEF), has four such rigs, the purpose of which is to perform tests on “Bearing/Grease/Axle box” systems for type approval of the widest variety of railway bearings, lubricants and axle boxes.

AEF’s MEB 2 has been placed back in service following successful modernisation. The process began in March 2015 and was completed with the involvement of several AEF departments. MEB2 was inaugurated in March 2017, has provided excellent results for fixed rig tests and

is therefore now in commercial use.

Upgrading the test rig involved:
– adapting it to the latest test specifications and requirements
– introducing more complex test cycles
– improving reliability and preventing component obsolescence

Modernising MEB 2 was not a one-off event. Other MEB and brake testing machines are also due for a facelift. AEF has demonstrated its ability to develop new test rigs to meet customer demand and is now keen to upgrade the other parts of its equipment to boost its laboratory testing performance standards.

FOCUS ON MEB

Tests are conducted on the bearing/ grease/axle box system to obtain type approval of these three components.

There are three types of type approval test:

• “Low speed” tests (freight): 132 km/h (120 km/h maximum revenue speed + 10%), over 600,000 km and 8 months,
• “High speed’’ tests (TGV): 352 km/h (320 km/h maximum revenue speed + 10%), over 800,000 km and 6 months
• Type approval tests over 100,000 km for minor changes to components already type approved (for renewing the type approval of a bearing if the production site has changed, for example). These tests last 4 weeks for high speeds and 5 weeks for lower speeds.

Some tests may be conducted at different speeds (160 / 200 / 250 km/h, etc.) depending on customer specifications.

Last but least, investigative tests may be performed or clients may specify their own test conditions but, in such cases, the results do not count as type approval.

Click here to go to the “Bearings and axle box” product fact sheet.