ICE – Gear Shaft Heating System

The safety of passengers has always top priority for Deutsche Bahn. For this reason, the gear shafts of the ICE series are regularly tested by means of ultrasound, so that even the smallest defects can be detected and evaluated at an early stage. For safe operation, the ultrasonic method requires a minimum temperature of the wheel shaft of some plus degrees, which can not be guaranteed in winter. With the help of special inductors, which are inserted into the hollow gear shafts, these can be brought to the target temperature in about 15 minutes, whereby a very expensive, several hours holding time of the train in the maintenance hall of the DB is avoided.