New technology being introduced by Matzan Reliability Solutions will aim to prevent railroad accidents. Matzan is a Rochester-area company that is looking to expand north into the Massena Industrial Park near Potsdam, NY.
Matzan now has hardware that is able to detect a defect in a railroad wheel before it gets to a state where an accident or other irreversible damage happens. They also help industries to implement proactive maintenance solutions, in addition to providing advice on maintenance issues and reliability and availability of equipment.
“Stuck brakes are a very easy thing for visual detection,” said President Eugene Matzan.
Those visual assessments aren’t enough sometimes, and this is where Matzan’s new technology comes in. The hardware uses ultrasound technology to detect wheel and bearing failures. These issues are generally caused by heat and friction, and by the time the message finally hits the hotbox detector it is too late.
Business Manager Bruce Duff says that ultrasound technology “is used in every country around the world. They know how to use it. For railroads, this is a new technology for them. We have one of the leading experts working with us.”
“It’s been a real uphill fight. Now we’re getting recognized,” Mr. Matzan added to the statement.
He went on to say that this is an issue that needs to be recognized and dealt with desperately, citing that “one out of every 100 cars are bad.”
Matzan’s equipment would detect issues and provide real-time data to the Department of Transportation and Federal Railroad Administration so that the problem can be dealt with immediately. This technology detects problems such as wheel-related issues, including dragging brakes, brake failures, wheel flats, wheel bearing failures, wheel spalling, and compressed air leaks. With this knowledge, when the train hits the next yard, workers can repair the issue before it becomes serious.
The company also stated that railroads could easily avoid many of the issues they face if they adopt the standards of the trucking industry, where trucks must be inspected for issues every time they hit a state line.
When not detected, wheel damage and bearing failure lead to more track wear than necessary and could even lead to catastrophic derailments. With 17 million shipping containers in circulation globally, trains often carry containers with hazardous materials, and this makes derailments even more catastrophic.
Working with Matzan to bring the facility to Massena is Jason A. Clark, who owns Clark Consulting Group LLC. He says that this issue is close to those in Massena due to a derailment in Lac-Megantic, Quebec in July 2013.
The train had been carrying crude oil when it derailed, causing a fire and explosion that killed 42 people, left 5 missing, and destroyed 30 buildings in the town center. The disaster forced the Transportation Safety Board of Canada to make the recommendation that older trains be phased out; however, they don’t have the power to actually enforce a mandate.
“It sort of brought the issue to the forefront. It’s 158 miles from Massena,” Clark said.
Duff went on to add, “Where we live, there’s a railroad that goes right through the center of the village. There are lot of tank cars. God forbid, if there was ever an accident and explosion, it would wipe out half the town.”
Currently, the Business Development Corporation in Massena is trying to secure a grant that would allow Matzan to move to an improved Massena Industrial Park. If approved, the funding would come from the Department of Transportation and would create about 30 jobs in five years.
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