GEARBODIES - Innovative Technologies for Inspecting Carbodies and for Development of Running Gear

This work presents the progress of the ongoing Shift2Rail project GEARBODIES. The project has designed an inspection platform for the inspection of composite carbody shell, integrating thermography and ultrasonic equipment. GEARBODIES has also selected the two elastomer-metal components to be prototyped, a bushing in swingarm and a conical spring in primary suspension. Both components will be improved employing carbon nanotubes in the elastomer formulation. The last groups of innovations explored are focused on the journal bearings. To improve roller-race materials, a first selection of four potential High Entropy Alloys candidates have been selected. Regarding lubricants, it has been identified that working on housing solutions are more promising that working on bearing sealing solutions. The first test on polymers for cages have been also performed as well as potential modifications on the geometry of the bearing components. The presented results will be further researched and the conclusions published in future works.