Transmashholding is implementing microwave plasma spectrometry technology on the Baikal-Amur Mainline for diagnosing locomotive diesels. The method is based on analyzing metal particles in a motor oil sample — their quantity, size, and composition can determine the degree of wear of components and predict failure.
Pilot operation is taking place at the Tynda-Severnaya depot — one of Russia's largest locomotive service depots, where about 700 locomotive sections are serviced. Within a month, specialists from the TMH Spectral Diagnostics Center analyze samples from 180 sections, and in the future, they plan to check up to 10–12 diesels per shift.
Unlike traditional methods, which only determine the total concentration of metals in oil, the new technology measures the parameters of each metal particle separately. This allows not just stating wear, but identifying exactly which component has started to fail. The reliability of the diagnostic conclusion reaches 90%.
According to TMH, the implementation of the method has reduced the number of severe diesel seizures by 3.5 times. Plans include transitioning to serial production of analyzers and expanding diagnostics to compressors, axle box assemblies, and traction electric motors.
Read more on the topic:
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- "TMH-Electrotech" Reaches Milestone of 400 Traction Units for 3TE28 Mainline Diesel Locomotives
- TMH Completes DP2D Tests: 30 New Trains Prepared for Production