Abstract:
The springs used in the bogie suspension of railway coaches are compression
springs. They are made of an elastic wire material formed into the shape of a helix.
They are commonly referred to as a coil spring or a helical spring. They are used
to store energy and subsequently release it to absorb shock or to maintain a force
between contact surfaces. The spring returns to its natural length or position when
unloaded.
Spring (BOLSTER) used in railway coaches have been failing prematurely much
before their intended service life. The springs are made with quality materials. Visual
examination shows that failure is common between first to third coils. The exact
time of failure cannot be determined as the coaches come for POH after 18 months.
Some cracks also negotiate during load testing. Pattern of cracks showing it may
subject to transverse forces. The cracks are detected in Magna-flux testing. The
present works attempt to analyze design of secondary suspension springs used in
Railway coaches under transverse loading by using ANSYS 19.1 software. Stresses
induced are compared with allowable stresses. Typical 13T NON-A/C coaches have
been considered for the failure analysis.
Keywords: Bolster spring, Magna-flux testing, Ansys 19.1
