Utax with UT Pistol

Utax with UT Pistol

Complete system for on-site inspection of solid railway axles, featuring scanning of the ends only and full traceability

Utax is a system developed to detect fatigue cracks in solid railway axles by scanning only the axle heads. The solution integrates the instrument, manipulator (UT probe), and software into a guided workflow designed to increase inspection reliability and simplify data acquisition, analysis and reporting.

Examples of use:

  • On-site inspection of solid railway axles using end-face scanning
  • Inspection of critical regions of interest (ROIs) prone to fatigue cracks
  • Control management from a single axle to an entire train (mapping and progress status)
  • Compliant with ANSF guidelines and applicable codes
  • Reliability of the inspection and coverage of critical areas with dedicated discrete angles
  • Full traceability
  • Full automatic recording of A-scan and B-scan
  • Automatic detection of the rotating probe/manipulator configuration
  • Access level and operator management
  • Remote monitoring and support (compliant with Industry 4.0 requirements)
  • Lightweight and practical for both data collection and analysis
This technique, which is well-established in the railway industry, is based on the careful selection of discrete angles to inspect critical areas. Thanks to this configuration, it is possible to systematically inspect areas potentially prone to fatigue cracks.
  • Performance in accordance with EN 12668-1
  • Electronics integrated into a rugged convertible PC
  • 2 “hot swap” batteries
  • 11.6" ultra-bright display with adaptive touchscreen
  • Windows 10 operating system
  • Total weight (including batteries): 2.6 kg
  • Extended battery life with a third battery (described as “virtually unlimited”)
  • Probes mounted on a single probe holder with a self-centering magnetic quick-release coupling on the center hole of the axle
  • Probe holder capable of accommodating up to 6 probes and adaptable to any mandrel diameter
  • Built-in encoder for tracking rotation, with smooth and comfortable manual rotation
  • Electronics built into the manipulator that allow scanning without having to adjust the calibration parameters on the instrument
  • Manipulator configuration that can be saved to internal memory and associated with a list of compatible axes
  • Switch between probe settings using an ergonomic selector switch

The software is optimized for touchscreen use and to reduce inspection time:

  • Train mapping and axle entry using the “UN number”
  • Clear progress status for each carriage
  • Guided acquisition: a test is considered “complete” only after a full rotation with all required scans
  • Recording of all A-scans and application of various types of B-scans, including during post-processing
  • Permanent storage of date/time, operator and calibration settings
  • Typical duration of a complete scan on one side: < 1 minute (typical value)
  • Remote monitoring via Wi-Fi or built-in SIM card for communication with the supervisor
  • Automatic report that can be sent directly to supervision/maintenance for the release of the train
The software's structure and/or functionality can be customized to meet specific customer requirements, if requested.

Transmitter

  • Pulse: negative square wave
  • Impedance: 50 ohms
  • PRF max: 10 kHz
  • Excitation voltage: 10–250 V
  • Pulse width: 20–400 ns (step 5 ns)
  • Ascent/descent time: 20–400 ns (step 5 ns)

Receiver

  • Input impedance: 50 Ω
  • Bandwidth: 0.5–20 MHz (-6 dB)
  • Amplification: 0–88 dB (step 0,1 dB)
  • Anti-disturbance media (hardware): 1, 2, 4, 8, 16
  • Digitization: 25/50/100 MHz; 8/12 bits
  • Digital filters: LP 2.5 – BP 5 – BP 10 – 32-coefficient FIR
  • Smart compression: 1–255; 0–160 ms
  • A-Scan points: 1–125,000 (without averaging) / 1–8,192 (with averaging)
  • Time scale: microseconds or mm
  • UT speed: 1000–10000 m/s

DAC/TGC

  • Pointsnti: up to 256
  • Maximum slope: 40 dB/μs
  • Accuracy: 0.1 dB; 10 ns
  • Gate: 1 Echo start + 3 gates
  • Configuration: 0–160 ms
  • Measurement/alarm logic: zero before / zero after / peak / threshold crossing
  • Polarity: positive, negative, absolute