On the Wanli Railway Line, there is often such a group of people, they are wearing yellow protective clothing, the east and west one are scattered on the long steel rails or intricate turnouts, sometimes crouching, sometimes standing up, sometimes walking forward, sometimes moving backwards, looking at the distance like the jumping notes on the "stave", they are "rail weld flaw detectors".
In the Wuhu Flaw Detection Workshop of the Wuhu Engineering Section of China Railway Shanghai Bureau Group Co., Ltd., there is such a weld flaw detection team. There are 13 people in the group, each holding a weld flaw detector every day, running on various railway lines.
▲ Flaw detector workers hold ultrasonic flaw detector probes, move back and forth at a uniform speed on the rail surface and rail bottom slope, and explore the hidden dangers of weak rail places such as forks and welds.
At 00:00 on February 16, the 30th working day of the 2022 Spring Festival, the sky was drizzling and the temperature was 0 °C. As usual, after completing the inventory of the tools and taking pictures by name, the team leader Peng Guard led the whole group of employees to open the door of the high-speed rail passage and prepare to enter the Ding'an High-speed Railway Dangtu East Station for weld flaw detection.
When Tudong Station has a total of 4 channels, 4 sets of turnouts, 56 welds, all turnout components need to be tested within 3 and a half hours of skylight point. According to the division of labor, today's weld group needs to detect 10-12 weld heads per person. They each applied the oil used for coupling to the rail surface of the rail weld, and moved back and forth at a uniform speed on the rail surface and the rail foot slope with the ultrasonic probe in their hands, keeping their eyes fixed on the waveform on the universal flaw detector display. "Scan the weld rail head for no less than 90 seconds, and the rail bottom foot scan for no less than 120 seconds!" Peng guarded the record of the flaw detection and scanning situation while reminding everyone.
According to the section arrangement, the Wuhu weld flaw detection team is mainly responsible for the testing of 12,136 weld heads on the Ningwu, Wutongpu railway lines and 882 groups of turnouts and 1052 extended kilometer lines of Ning'an and Hehang high-speed railway lines. During the Spring Festival, with the increase of trains, the frequency of impact on welds by rolling stock has increased sharply, and the pressure of rail anti-break work is huge. Especially in the late Spring Festival, the temperature in the tube alternates between cold and warm, and the temperature difference between day and night is large, which is the taboo of the rail cold protection and breakage, and it is also the busiest time for the weld flaw detection group.
The Wuhu weld flaw detection team actively follows up the operation plan, fills the plan every day, often rotates the high-speed rail and the Pudong railway, and increases the flaw detection and inspection of weld diseases.
"Wang Tao, when you finish drying this weld, you will rest first, and I will do the remaining 2 for you!" Ji Zhengguo, the young backbone of the team, said. Wang Tao is 1 meter 82 tall, weighs 190 pounds, coupled with the recent lumbar intervertebral disc herniation of the old problem has been committed again, dry weld detection is always squatting down to stand up, cold night, back and forth to dry 3 welds forehead has begun to sweat.
The rain was getting heavier and heavier, and the cold wind was wrapped around the rain and slapping on everyone's face, getting colder. Wang Tao did not accept Ji Zhengguo's suggestion, took a nap and ran to the next weld again.
"Flaw detection work is different from other types of work, it has a clear cycle limit, if the specified task is not completed within the specified time limit, the light is A class assessment, and the heavy consequences may also cause an accident of overturning the car." Peng Shouwei explained.
The operation is nearing the end, according to the custom, everyone has packed up the tools they have brought in and prepared to evacuate the scene.
3:22 a.m. The rain was still falling, the wind had not stopped, and only the beating notes on the "stave" had slowly dissipated. (Fang Minggao)