Testing & Analysis

The Institute of Railway Technology has a wide range of testing facilities and analysis capabilities including:

• High performance servo hydraulic machines.
• Versatile monitoring tools and methods.
• Sophisticated materials examination and analysis facilities.

Laboratory Testing Capabilities

• Mechanical testing:
  Servo-hydraulic, dynamic testing machines; load capacities of up to 60 tonne dynamic to 40Hz and static to 500 tonne.
• Ballast and formation testing.
• Fatigue testing of sleeper, rail and weld systems.
• Materials characterisation & failure analysis.
• Test parameters including force, pressure, deflection, temperature and wear and friction
• Non Destructive Testing.
• Electronics and process control.
• Monitoring facilities including load, deflection, stress, strain, temperature and acoustic emission.

The Institute also has access to the University's range test facilities within the electrical, civil, materials and other departments

Other Testing Capabilities

• Metal and metal products.
• Major assemblies and large scale components.
• Rail and automotive components.
• Lifting gear.
• Springs and energy absorbing devices.
• Tensile,compression and fatigue testing.
• Materials examination.
• Optical and electron microscopy.
• Micro-analysis.
• Chemical analysis.