Structural integrity and life assessment of railway and aeronautical components - Review of four case studies

Structural integrity and life assessment of railway and aeronautical components, critical for the safety of these two important means of transport, is analysed using four case studies, two for each of them. In respect to railway components, a brief failure analysis of a fractured wheel is presented, with the idea to use this experience to improve structural integrity of wheels in general. Second case study is focused on coupling link used in freight wagons, once again providing failure analysis to improve its safety. Case studies of aeronautical components comprise torque links and High Temperature and Pressure (HTP) casings, as crucial components of airplane landing gear and jet engine, respectively. In both cases residual fatigue life was in focus with an aim to replace damaged torque link with a new one, produced by Additive Manufacturing (AM), and to check if damaged HTP casing can remain in operation for a certain period o time.