Integrated Eddy Current Inspection in Turning Machines with Deployable Algorithms for Automated Defect Detection in Railway Wheels

Ensuring the structural integrity and service reliability of railway wheels has become a key challenge in modern manufacturing and maintenance strategies within the railway sector. In this context, Eddy Current (EC)-based Non-Destructive Testing (NDT) provides an automated and efficient approach for detecting surface and near-surface defects, while reducing inspection time and operator dependency compared to conventional manual methods. This study presents the integration of an EC inspection system into a precision lathe, enabling in-machining evaluation during wheel turning. Experimental validation was conducted on wheels with artificial defects, yielding high signal-to-noise ratios and enabling reliable defect characterization. Furthermore, computationally efficient and easily deployable machine learning algorithms were developed to enable automatic defect detection, localization, and size estimation. The results confirm the feasibility of in-machine EC inspection during machining operations, enabling early defect detection and contributing to safer, more efficient, and higher-quality manufacturing processes in the railway sector.