Twenty years of Gamma Radiation Control for IBRE

The International Braking and Railway Equipment (IBRE) (ibre.fr) is a disk brake developing and producing company, based in France, serving the rail industry, private networks and Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) in France and the rest of the world.

SGS Industrial Services (http://www.sgs.com/industrial) has been in charge of brake disk testing for IBRE since 1988, carrying out Gamma Radiation Control with Cobalt-60 for brake disks in accordance with European technical standards (e.g. NFE EN 12 681) and reference images ASTM E446 and E186.

The inspection is performed every time after the production of a series of around 20 - 30 casts. 2 - 3 pieces of samples are exposed to gamma rays for 1.5 to 3 hours - depending on cobalt source - for radiography (http://www.sgs.com/ndt-conventional-radiography.htm). Subsequently, SGS experts analyze and interpret the resulting images, and if they find any flaws, extra samples may be tested to confirm the previous results. Depending on the new results, IBRE may decide to scrap the entire series of casts. The usual kinds of defects are sand inclusions, shrinkage cavities and blowholes. If no defects are found by SGS, IBRE can continue with the brake disk operation process.

As the production of brake disks is on hold during the inspection period, it is very important that the SGS experts work very quickly. SGS radiation control is on the critical path of IBRE’s supply chain which is why it is essential that operations be processed without delay, and that experts are able to interpret the results quickly and reliably. Normally, the overall control process by SGS takes around 2 to 3.5 hours.

SGS not only identifies cast defects, but also deduces their causes. The usual causes for the defects are: degassing issues, inappropriate temperature or incorrect speed of the flow. For IBRE, it is very important and helpful to pinpoint and understand what went wrong in the production process in order to fix the errors and prevent further problems.

Working for more than 20 years for IBRE shows that the company is very pleased with the work of SGS. Due to SGS’s quick and reliable work, IBRE is able to maintain production quality. The support that SGS provides is particularly important in phases of change or process setting, where it can save days of production capacity.

SGS provides a fully integrated service pack for its clients, combining Non-Destructive Testing Services, Inspection and Asset Integrity Management through its worldwide NDT network in over 30 countries. The scope of SGS covers both conventional and advanced NDT methods (http://www.ndt.sgs.com/advanced-ndt-methods-ndt), provided by qualified inspectors to international standards around the world.

http://www.sgs.com/gamma-radiation-control-of-brake-disks-for-the-rail-industry?viewId=2412

The SGS Group is the global leader and innovator in inspection, verification, testing and certification services. Founded in 1878, SGS is recognized as the global benchmark in quality and integrity. With more than 55,000 employees, SGS operates a network of over 1,000 offices and laboratories around the world.

SGS SA – Industrial Services
Pierre-Yves Grisey
Business development manager
Domaine de Corbeville Ouest
91400 ORSAY, France
f. +33 01 69 33 69 47
m. +33 06 25 12 30 96

This release was published on openPR.