Impact
Test Track
Incline Ramp
A 30' high
incline ramp is capable of accelerating two 100 ton freight
cars to speeds of up to 16 miles per hour. The impact area
is a reinforced concrete pad utilizing welded rail to provide
a uniform and level base. A car tripping device placed at
1' intervals along the entire length of the ramp produces
desired impact velocities to within 0.25 miles per hour. Impact
speed is measured a few feet before impact using a photoelectric
timer. Miner's instrumentation cable trolley, provides 24
channels of dynamic data acquisition from a moving test car
and an additional 24 data channels from a standing car. All
impact test data is recorded and analyzed through a digital
data acquisition system. |
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Dynamic Instrumentation
A portable
digital data acquisition system records output from force,
displacement, strain, acceleration and pressure sensors during
impact testing. The system can stream data to memory at a
rate of 25,000 samples per second, for a single channel. Modular
plug-in cards makes this system expandable for future testing
needs.
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European
Buffer Impacts
Two European
style rail cars are available for testing Miner's line of
buffers. The test car weights are adjustable from 27,000 to
106,000 pounds on the rail. Output from precision load cells
and travel transducers is used to generate performance data
from each impact, which is then applied to develop new products
for the international market.
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Impact
Track - Back Stop
Hydraulic
and crushable media shock absorbing devices can be tested
against this back stop which is bolted to the impact track
pad. Rolling mass weights from 13,000 to 106,000 pounds are
available to match each test requirement.
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Railcar—Static
Load Tests
Car Compression
Fixture
Fixturing
for the 1,000,000 pound "Squeeze" machine will accept
test cars up to 10.5' wide in lengths from 45 to 119 feet.
Assembled on an indoor track anchored in a 3' bed of reinforced
concrete, the fixturing design assures accurate and repeatable
test results. A system of five hydraulic pistons controlled
by five flow control valves assures a uniformly applied compressive
load to 1,000,000 pounds. Force is monitored electronically
by a precision load cell. A digital data acquisition system
is used to scan and record up to 100 channels for static tests,
providing on-the-spot analysis and preparing final data reduction
in tabular and graphic formats.
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Coupler
Vertical Load Test
Required
by some AAR specifications, this test applies jacking loads
at the coupler shank and head areas. The test fixture is required
to apply a vertical load of 50,000 pounds to the coupler head.
Vertical up and down loads are applied and held for a period
of 60 seconds. Vertical loads are monitored by a precision
load cell. Up to 100 channels can be recorded.
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Additional
Static Test Capabilities
Additional
Railcar static test capabilities include railcar weighing
and railcar twist/stiffness tests.
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