The four-year cooperation of the Lublin University of Technology (PL) with Ningbo University in China resulted in a joint project co-financed by the National Agency for Academic Exchange. Over the next two years, Polish and Chinese scientists will work on new technologies of rolling axles for solid and hollow railroad cars.

There are currently about 1 million railway axles of various shapes and sizes in China, each weighing about 400 kg. The scientists’ idea is to use a universal numerically controlled rolling mill equipped with one set of tools (shaping rolls) to produce all axes – says Prof. Zbigniew Pater, Rector of PL.

Polish and Chinese scientists will conduct research on kinematics of metal flow in the skew rolling process and the quality of railcar axles made with the use of a numerical rolling mill. The influence of the microstructure on the operational performance of the axle will also be checked, as well as the mechanism of fatigue crack growth and life prediction.