Fatigue Tests – Important Part of Development of New Vehicles

Abstract

In city of Pilsen (Czech Republic) modern transport engineering is developed. The Skoda Transportation (production company) has successfully been producing rail and road vehicles for many years (electric locomotives, trams, metro cars, trolleybuses, battery buses). This producer cooperates in developing these vehicles with the Research and Testing Institute (commercial research institute) and with the University of West Bohemia (public university). Fatigue tests are carried out by the Dynamic Testing Laboratory at the Research and Testing Institute and by the Regional Technological Institute, the research center of the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering at the university. The paper describes various fatigue tests and presents their practical realization in the mentioned laboratories.