New Research Findings Enhance Operations Across the Industry

September 1, 2026, Pueblo, CO – MxV Rail, the rail industry’s premier research and engineering partner, invites the technical community and its railroad sponsors to learn more about the Metallurgy Lab and its state-of-the-art capabilities. Located at MxV Rail’s headquarters in Pueblo, Colorado, the Metallurgy Lab serves as a center of excellence for the railroad industry, helping researchers, engineers, and maintenance professionals better understand material performance, failure mechanisms, and asset reliability.

Recent projects conducted within the Metallurgy Lab are already delivering benefits across the industry. Through investigations into rail weld failures, thermite welding methods, and wheel-rail interaction, MxV Rail researchers have identified actionable opportunities to improve weld longevity, reduce maintenance burden, and enhance overall track performance.

One of the most notable examples is the “Analysis of Broken Welds from 2024 FAST Operations” published in Technology Digest (TD25-004) and on LinkedIn. MxV Rail’s team identified several key factors that contribute to weld longevity, and the findings emphasize the importance of best practices in pre- and post-weld processes. This knowledge has quickly spread by word of mouth and is now enabling safer operations and smarter maintenance planning.

“What we learn about rail welds, why they break, and how to make them more secure empowers those in the field to make immediate improvements that contribute directly to a safer and more resilient rail network,” said Dr. Ananyo Banerjee, PhD, PE, Principal Investigator at MxV Rail. “We were encouraged by how quickly the word spread, and industry professionals working with rails and welding were reaching out to learn more. Teams of track crews and engineers are now proactively addressing the stress risers left by branding marks or the shearing process.”

The Metallurgy Lab team comprises industry-leading experts with diverse experience and qualifications who continuously push the boundaries of materials science. Any steel component of a track or train is suitable for analysis in the lab, including defects undetectable to the human eye. To visually observe what caused a break or fracture at the microscale, the laboratory provides the equipment and expertise necessary to detect and analyze defects from the nanoscale to the macroscale.

Specific capabilities include:

• Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) – high/low magnification for microstructure analysis, failure investigation, and chemical composition using a Hitachi SU 3900.
• Energy Dispersive Spectrometer (EDS) – semi-quantitative chemical analysis of micro-features like inclusions and contaminants within the SEM.

• Optical Microscopes – automated/manual microscopy (25-1000x) for grain analysis, fractography, and steel cleanliness evaluations – with micro cleanliness feature.
• Optical Emission Spectrometer – determines the chemical composition of conductive materials using plasma and spectral detectors.
• Macro Hardness Test – Rockwell, Vickers, and Brinell hardness testing with automated pattern capabilities for in-depth hardness assessments.
• Micro Hardness Test – precision Vickers hardness testing on polished samples with automated testing for complex data patterns.
• Sputter Coater – enhanced material analysis with uniform conductive coating, ideal for high-resolution and electron microscopy.
• Automated Grinding and Polishing Machine – prepares metallographic samples through grinding and polishing with automated control.
• Individual Custom Machines – grinding, course polish, fine polish, and sample press capabilities customizable to the test.
• Advanced Non-Destructive Testing – including conventional and phased array ultrasonic, eddy current, magnetic particle, and liquid penetrant testing.

Additionally, MxV Rail published significant advances in understanding rail integrity and asset performance with two breakthrough studies focused on welding technology and wheel-rail interaction. “Recent Developments in Thermite Welding Methods” (TD-26-12) demonstrated that redesigned ultrasonic impact treatment (UIT) tools can reduce application time while improving treatment precision. Revenue service trials using redesigned needles will be the next step. In parallel, MxV Rail’s unique capability and Rolling Contact Fatigue Simulator (RCFS) testing led to findings in “RCFS Testing of Curve Superelevation Effects on RCF Formation” (TD26-013), confirming that higher vertical loads accelerate rolling contact fatigue while targeted lubrication significantly reduces wear and defects. Together, this portfolio of work provides the industry with actionable, science-based strategies to improve weld longevity, reduce maintenance burden, and enhance track performance across the rail network.

MxV Rail is committed to advancing rail safety, performance, and reliability through cutting-edge research, testing, engineering, and industry collaboration. To stay informed about the latest findings and innovations, subscribe to MxV Rail’s Technology Digest at MxV Rail Technology Digest.

Whether investigating a component failure, validating a new technology, analyzing material performance, or developing solutions to complex operational challenges, MxV Rail’s team of researchers and engineers is available to help. To learn more about the Metallurgy Lab and MxV Rail’s comprehensive research, testing, and engineering capabilities, contact the team at askmxvrail@aar.com or visit MxV Rail.

Contact:        Niki Toussaint, Senior AVP Marketing & Education, niki_toussaint@aar.com, 719-671-8676