The growing Brazilian railroad industry is searching ways to decrease the railcar weight. Just in this way the V&M do Brasil developed the railcar hollow axle through modern material and manufacture technologies. It is up to 40% lighter than the equivalent conventional solid axle. Besides the weight saving and related fuel consumption and emission benefits, the hollow axle is fully compatible with the present truck components.
This paper presents the development methodology, some calculation figures and the result of the full-scale fatigue test carried out with hollow axle prototypes.