Fraunhofer IZFP develops PASAWIS system for complete manual inspection of railway wheelsets

05/11/2024

Material inspection of wheelsets for rail cars is an integral part of safe rail transportation. In smaller workshops, this inspection is usually carried out manually. Due to the fleeting nature of the data, it has not been possible to store and thus trace the inspection results. The Phased Array Semi-Automated Wheelset Inspection System (PASAWIS) now represents the next generation of wheelset inspection. 

PASAWIS uses three hand-held scanners to perform a complete wheelset inspection on the shaft, rim and tread based on defined inspection programmes. The mobile system can be used in production, can be operated by one person and consists of an ultrasonic unit (phased array) with customised software. The system meets the requirements of VPI European Rail Service GmbH (VERS) in accordance with VPI-EMG 09 for the maintenance of freight cars by means of non-destructive testing.

For the first time, PASAWIS enables the complete storage of inspection data sampled by manual inspection, thus ensuring long-term traceability. The locally stored data can be transferred to central storage locations via multiple interfaces. A direct upload to cloud-based document management systems is also possible. Inspection parameters such as inspector, inspection date, signal amplification or inspection areas are documented in Digital Imaging and Communication for Non-Destructive Evaluation (DICONDE) format in accordance with ASTM E2633 14 US. This open standard with attached picture archiving and communication system (PACS) meets the highest requirements and enables images and digital data from industrial materials inspection to be displayed, transmitted and stored.

	PASAWIS uses three hand-held scanners for shaft, rim and tread inspection                                            Image courtesy of Evident/Roland Sander

The results of an inspection are automatically saved in individualised inspection reports as a portable document format (PDF) file and contain the graphical results associated with the individual wheelset, such as A-scan, sector image and C-scan and metadata such as calibration date, device serial number, name of the inspector or workshop. Only minimal manual input is required to generate the report. The inspection report is provided with a secure digital signature, thereby guaranteeing a significantly increased level of security.

PASAWIS is a joint development of Fraunhofer IZFP and Evident GmbH in cooperation with RailMaint GmbH.

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