Dual Rail Ultrasonic Flaw Detection Vehicle Enters African Market
Africa Star Railway Operations Co., Ltd founded in May 2017 as a subsidiary of China Road and Bridge Company (CRBC) Operates the Mombasa-Nairobi Railway in Kenya, a key freight and passenger transport
Client Background
Africa Star Railway Operations Co., Ltd founded in May 2017 as a subsidiary of China Road and Bridge Company (CRBC) Operates the Mombasa-Nairobi Railway in Kenya, a key freight and passenger transport corridor Focuses on safety, efficiency, commitment, respect, and integrity in railway operations Responsible for maintaining track integrity on a high-traffic industrial and regional rail line
Project Challenge
Need to detect internal rail defects such as transverse cracks in the rail head that are invisible to visual inspection Limited inspection windows due to high operational traffic on the Mombasa-Nairobi line Existing inspection methods were slow, subjective, and unable to cover long distances efficiently Requirement for a reliable, fast, and repeatable inspection system that can operate at speed on dual tracks
Our Solution
Deployment of the UR18-D dual-rail ultrasonic flaw detection vehicle developed by Ultra Instrument Inc. Vehicle operates at 15 km/h continuous detection speed while inspecting both rails in a single pass Patented disassembled platform allows two people to carry and assemble the vehicle on track in under five minutes Lithium battery drive enables 60 km or 4 hours of continuous operation per shift 9-channel wheel probe with primary and secondary wave detection identifies transverse cracks in the rail head A-scan and B-scan data recorded for later playback, expert review, and verification
Final Result
First use of the UR18-D dual-rail ultrasonic flaw detection vehicle on the Mombasa-Nairobi Railway in September 2017 Successful inspection of both rails in one pass at 15 km/h without disrupting traffic schedules Data recorded and later reviewed by experts to confirm defect locations Inspection crew able to complete more track per shift due to speed and dual-rail coverage No need for lifting equipment to deploy the vehicle on track, reducing setup time
Customer Benefit
Detects transverse cracks in the rail head at operating speed, preventing derailments Reduces inspection time per kilometre by eliminating the need for two separate passes Enables full track coverage within short possession windows due to high detection speed No crane or heavy lifting required to deploy the vehicle on track Digital data allows for repeatable review and verification after inspection
Customer Pain Points
- Manual walking inspections are too slow to cover the full length of the railway in available time slots
- Single rail inspection equipment requires two separate passes, doubling the time needed per kilometre
- Heavy inspection vehicles require lifting equipment to deploy on track, increasing setup time and complexity
- Lack of digital data recording means no ability to re-check results after crew departure
- Remote location and limited infrastructure make logistics and maintenance difficult
How the Work Was Done
- Engineers with over 20 years of experience in ultrasonic rail testing develop the system
- Design integrates non-destructive wheel probe technology across all product lines
- Platform modules are engineered for manual handling with no single module exceeding 48 kg
- Vehicle built with independent running and detection systems for bidirectional operation
- Coupling water tank capacity of not less than 100 L with visible level indicator
- Safety features include horn, windshield, anti-overturning device, and lighting for night use
Quality Control
- UR18-D passed the review of standard measurement technology of the Chinese Academy of Railway Sciences
- Each unit undergoes functional testing at detection speed and data recording capability
- Probe centering and angle adjustment verified before shipment
- Software validated for accurate recording of speed, sensitivity, A-scan, and B-scan data
- Defect detection performance confirmed using known test samples prior to deployment
From the Project
Equipment Used
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