Brake tests

Measure the braking performance and associated forces for the type approval or development of any kind of rolling stock.

Tests objectives:

• Develop, validate and measure braking performance during:
  – Tests carried out on a trainset, a convoy or a traction unit
  – Slip brake tests on all kinds of rail vehicles
• Characterize under normal and degraded wheel/rail adhesion: Emergency brake, service brake, locking brake, parking brake
• Determine key parameters: Equivalent response time, jerk, corrected stopping distance, average equivalent deceleration
• Monitor related parameters: Pressure in brake cylinders, brake component temperature, axle speed, test conditions (temperature, relative humidity)
• Characterize and qualify brake parts
• Measure forces applied to the wheels and discs

Tests facilities:

• Tachometric measuring device
• Doppler radar
• GPS
• Measuring system for various types of parameters: Temperature (disc/wheel), acceleration, voltage and current (electric brake, magnetic pad, etc.), pressure, etc.
• Brake activation device
• Track watering system

Accreditations:

ISO/IEC 17025 awarded by COFRAC

Testing norms:

STI Loc and Pass

NF EN 13452-1 & -2 – Braking – Mass transit brake systems –
Part 1: Performance requirements.
Part 2: Methods of test

UIC 540 – Air Brakes for freight trains and passenger trains

UIC 541 – 02/03/04 – Brakes – Regulations concerning manufacture of the different brake parts

UIC 544-1 – Braking power

TSI – Rolling Stock – Conventional rail, High speed, Freight wagons

STM F014 – Network Technical Specifications

Contributing to the type approval process of a braking system by means of static tests

Tests objectives:

• Validate brake control components (driver’s brake valve, self-adjusting brake valve, etc.)
• Validate and measure the application forces generated by the braking system
• Measuring the holding capacity of the brake when the train is at standstill by establishing the friction coefficient or the adhesion (wheel/brake block or wheel/ rail)

Tests facilities:

Measuring chain equipped with sensors for automatic compliance checks (measurements + functional analysis + validation)

Testing norms:

UIC 540 – Air brakes for freight and passenger trains

UIC 541 – 03/04/05 – Regulations concerning manufacture of the different brake parts

TSI – Rolling Stock – Conventional Rail, High Speeds, Freight wagons

Gauging the efficiency of WSP devices for type approval or development purposes.

Tests objectives:

• Characterize performance of wheel slide protection devices during emergency and service braking for various rail adhesion conditions (normal, downgraded, highly downgraded)
  
• Monitor and record the following parameters: Axle speed, reference speed, brake cylinder pressure, brake component temperature, test conditions (temperature, relative humidity)

Tests facilities:

• Brake activation device
• Pressure sensors
• Thermocouples
• Data acquisition and processing chain
• Tachometric measuring device associated with Doppler radar
• System for reducing rail adhesion (by spraying water or oil onto the track)
• Current/torsion sensors

Accreditations :

ISO/IEC 17025 awarded by COFRAC

Testing norms:

Loc and Pass TSI

NF EN 15595+A1 – Railway applications – Braking – Wheel slide protection

UIC 544-1 – Frein – Braking power

UIC 544-05 – Frein – Brakes – Regulations concerning manufacture of the different brake parts – Wheel slide protection