WIDEM's Strategic Objectives:

• Creation and validation of an innovative and rigorous methodology to design wheelsets
• Endurance strength design approach for wheels and axles which will lead to an optimisation of wheelset geometry, a reduction of un-sprung masses and an extension of maintenance intervals while meeting increasing safety and service requirements.
• A new wheelset maintenance strategy based on more accurately defined inspection periods through the use of new NDT devices for railway (Compensated Resonance System).
• This project aims to optimise the design and maintenance of wheelsets, to reduce Whole Life Costs. Wheelset loads will be measured and used to develop design guides for new axles and optimise testing regimes for existing axles.
• The ultimate goal is to increase the competitiveness, capacity and availability of European railway products in the wheelsets area.

General project information:

• WIDEM is a partly EU funded research project (Specific Targeted Research Project - STREP), and partly funded by the consortium partners.
• The project started in January 2005 and will end in December 2007 for a total duration of 36 months. WIDEM is coordinated by Lucchini with the assistance of UNIFE. There are 10 consortium partners. The project has a 10 different work packages.
• The research activities of WIDEM are in line with the objectives of the EC Work Programme 2002-2006 for Sustainable Surface Transport, in particular Objective 2: "Advanced design and production techniques".
• The project contributes to achieving the ambitious goals of the Strategic Rail Research Agenda (SRRA) developed by the European Rail Research Advisory Council (ERRAC) in the areas of:
  • Innovative Materials & Production Methods
  • Safety & Security

For further information on the WIDEM development and current activities, please visit the regularly updated links on this website or contact Steven Cervello <S.Cervello@lucchini.it>.