New material testing equipment from US-based company MTS that can determine the strength and durability of rail infrastructure will be showcased at the Africa Rail 2016 conference and exhibition by laboratory equipment and services suppliers IMP Scientific & Precision.
The testing equipment is capable of testing physical properties of raw material, such as steel and can be used as research and development tools that can test the durability of components, for example, bogie components and shock absorbers. This equipment can be used by rail manufacturers to test the reliability of new railways and trains, to determine the quality of raw materials being used and to verify manufacture processes such as welding, says IMP product specialist Mark Thompson.
He explains that there are a lot of new railway projects that use equipment from IMP across South Africa, with one of its most prominent ongoing clients being State-owned freight utility Transnet, which uses equipment and laboratories provided by IMP for testing equipment.
The company currently has two dedicated MTS laboratories in South Africa – in Johannesburg and Pretoria – that are equipped to test rolling stock and infrastructure components and materials.
The MTS line of products includes rail and rail-bed test systems that measure the durability of the track, high-force load frames that test the material properties, damper test systems that accurately measure the damping performance of the trains’ shock absorbers, and rail car fatigue and durability tests that measure how long a train car will last under predetermined conditions.
The testing equipment is provided by IMP Scientific, which is part of a group of companies that was founded in 1987 and supplies complete physical and metallurgical laboratory solutions to industry and universities across Africa.
IMP Calibration Services division provides service, calibration and support for products sold by IMP Scientific. IMP Scientific is the sole agent for all these products and has factory trained personnel.
IMP’s main office is in Boksburg, in Gauteng, with branches in KwaZulu-Natal, Cape Town, Port Elizabeth, Potchefstroom and Middelburg. It currently employs over 160 personnel with qualifications in engineering, metallurgy, geochemistry, analytical science, law and commerce.
Edited by: Zandile Mavuso
Creamer Media Senior Deputy Editor: Features
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