Improving Procedures for Ultrasonic Pulse-Echo Testing of Rails in Production

Based on the analysis of the results of acceptance and operational inspection of rails, we formulate tasks to improve procedures for ultrasonic acceptance inspection of rails. An algorithm developed by the authors for calculating the amplitude of the echo signal from an arbitrarily shaped planar reflector is described, and a piece of the design software based on it is verified. A theoretical and experimental analysis of the acoustic path is carried out for testing the rail on the lateral face of the head, and ways to improve the existing testing procedure are suggested.