Development of a Universal NDT Data Interface to Optimize the Design and Maintenance of Rail Vehicles - Preliminary Study (NDEface-V)

To ensure a high level of safety and reliability for rail vehicles, their components are inspected during manufacturing and operation. These components are subject to strict quality requirements. Non-destructive testing (NDT) methods are frequently used to assess the condition of rail vehicles. This allows for the detection of irregularities in the material and the identification of potential defects. The inspections conducted during a component’s manufacturing and lifecycle are performed by various companies responsible at the respective time. The collection and storage of inspection data is primarily based on proprietary data formats and interfaces. Their diversity and specificity very often limit the mutual sharing of inspection data. This data is transmitted between the various responsible parties in the form of inspection reports, which are often not machine-readable. Furthermore, the underlying test data is generally neither archived nor transmitted. However, an in-depth, historical analysis of the test data can help optimize the maintenance of rail vehicles. Universal data interfaces are required to ensure that different inspection methods can be used in a consistent manner and to enable the development of evaluation algorithms. These interfaces allow NDT systems to be integrated into a central and uniform data management system. As a result, inspection data can be archived, transmitted, and evaluated in a standardized manner. This preliminary study serves to prepare for the development of such NDT data interfaces. The primary focus is on identifying the requirements of the stakeholders involved in the inspection process. Based on this, an assessment of the fundamental feasibility will first be made, followed by the derivation of implementation steps for the interfaces. Technical, regulatory, and organizational challenges that must be addressed during the implementation of universal NDT data interfaces were identified. Building on this, a concept for implementing such interfaces was developed. This includes an assessment of the implementation effort and the stakeholders required for this purpose. To this end, individual interviews were first conducted with the relevant stakeholders, followed by expert workshops involving broad participation from the railway sector. Key questions addressed in this preliminary study included how data value chains can be established between NDT testing systems from suppliers, original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), and operators, and what overarching framework conditions must be established to enable mutual data exchange and make it beneficial for all parties. Among the stakeholders surveyed, ultrasonic and magnetic particle testing of wheel sets and wheel set axles emerged as the first key use case through which the functionality of the interfaces can be demonstrated.