Estimate and Extend the Time between Overhauls for the Railcar Body

This paper addresses the challenge of estimating and extending the time between overhauls of railcar bodies, which are crucial components in rail freight transportation. Railcar bodies endure significant operational loads, leading to damage and the need for frequent repairs. In response to this issue, a novel approach has been proposed: the use of an operational factor of safety that considers both the probability of failure-free operation and the likelihood of load occurrence on the railcar body. A new equation has been introduced to determine the time between overhauls of these bodies. The focus of this paper is on the development of innovative engineering solutions aimed at enhancing the strength and reliability of railcar bodies. Theoretical and experimental studies were conducted to validate the effectiveness of the proposed design. The results demonstrate that the implementation of these solutions can extend the time between overhauls of the railcar body by 1.21 to 2.06 times, depending on operating conditions.