ANALYSIS OF FRICTION COEFFICIENTS OF CERTIFIED COMPOSITE BRAKE BLOCKS IN FREIGHT RAILWAY WAGONS

Abstract

Due to the increasing public demand for reducing railway noise emissions, the implementation of composite brake blocks for freight wagons has intensified over the past twenty years. Consequently, composite brake blocks have become mandatory for newly manufactured freight wagons operating in international railway traffic. However, only a relatively small number of manufacturers have successfully certified this type of brake block in accordance with the applicable European standards. These standards specify a set of performance requirements that must be verified through type testing performed on certified brake test benches and in exploitation. Despite the extensive laboratory testing procedures, it is also essential to evaluate the braking performance on the specific freight wagon equipped with the tested composite brake blocks. These tests reveal the operational characteristics of individual brake block types under realistic service conditions. This paper presents and analyses selected results obtained from braking performance tests carried out on a freight wagon equipped with three different types of certified composite brake blocks.