Experience

FERROVIA CIRCUMETNEA

• Italy
• Railroad Equipment Manufacturing
• 1 - 100 Employee

• Advanced Technical Support

  • Jan 2023 - Present

  Another advisory work on vehicle-track interaction. Corrugation, wear, profile management, friction management, running dynamics. Continuously welded rail (CWR) optimisation on narrow gauge curves and much more to come! Another advisory work on vehicle-track interaction. Corrugation, wear, profile management, friction management, running dynamics. Continuously welded rail (CWR) optimisation on narrow gauge curves and much more to come!



Salcef Group

• Italy
• Rail Transportation
• 200 - 300 Employee

• Test Manager

  • Dec 2022 - Present

  After 40 years of service a metro line requires extra care because of water that infiltrated between the slab of the tunnel invert. A preliminary test campaign will allow to evaluate the vertical displacement of both rails to ensure that the service can continue without large track twists. We have designed the campaign in order to provide the highest number of information and insights in what's happening below the slab.The results of other test campaigns, planned for January 2023, will provide the necessary information to proceed to a complete redesign of the slab using the innovative FAST system developed by OVERAIL srl (a company of the SALCEF SpA group)

• Light rail vehicle designer

  • Jul 2021 - Present

  SALCEF aims to investigate the possibility of developing new architectures for light rail vehicles with low vibrational and acoustic impacts. Innovative traction and braking solutions will be evaluated as well.



AB Consulting sas di Andrea Bracciali & C.

• Italy
• Industrial Machinery Manufacturing

• Product Designer

  • Sep 2022 - Present

• Product Designer

  • Sep 2022 - Present

  I have designed a new type of insulated rail joint (called ABJ - Absolutely Better Joint) based on shallow depth switch rails cut with a very low angle (3°) and a thick cover plate under the joint. Patent pending. Tests according to prEN16843:2019 fully passed. Please visit www.absolutelybetterjoint.com for more information

• Mechanical designer

  • Jan 1982 - Present



ATAC SpA

• Italy
• Truck Transportation
• 700 & Above Employee

• Technical consultant for an accident in a metro depot

  • Jun 2021 - Present

  On 6th April 2021 a low speed collision happened in a depot of the metro in Rome. One person was seriously injured. I was contacted by the Director of the Metro Operations in ATAC (local PTA) to act as his technical consultant in the criminal investigations (in process, so no further details can be supplied at the moment).

• Rolling stock expert

  • Nov 2021 - Mar 2022

  When city aministration, rules and/or control bodies change, there is always something to tune. That's what's happening in Rome with the recent reorganization of boards responsible for safety in local transportation. I am performing structural and operation analysis on safety related components of metro vehicles (bogie frames, carbodies, couplers, braking system) in order to temporarily extend service while waiting for the completion of general ovehaul of different fleets.For one of those vehicles, I designed a "parachute", i.e. a safety device that keeps vehicles connectd also in case of failure of the intermediate couplers.The re-analysis of bogie frame calculations made in the 1990's in the light of modern design code led to a considerable extension of the expected life of that component. Very likely, this will be subject of a paper on safety calculation of welded bogie frames structure that I will submit to a journal, updating a paper I gave in 2010 at the conference of the Italian Association of Stress Analysis (AIAS).



SOCIETA' SUBALPINA DI IMPRESE FERROVIARIE S.P.A.

• Italy
• Rail Transportation
• 1 - 100 Employee

• Assistance for Panoramic EMU overhaul

  • Feb 2021 - Present

  SSIF (aka "Ferrovia delle Centovalli" or "Ferrovia Vigezzina") operates an internation narrow-gauge between Domodossola (Italy) and Locarno (Switzerland). A series of EMU built in the early 2000s in currently starting a general overhaul to core mechanical components (wheelsets, bogie frames, suspensions, transmissions, etc.). I am assisting the railway to find spare parts (some suppliers "disappeared" in the meanwhile) and to find an external workshop to perform the overhaul. A company near Naples was found, and I am in charge to first write down the structure of the maintanance manual and then (hopefully) to write the manuals. A very interesting vehicle that performs very well in a line with a maximum slope of 6.5% (!) and extremely sharp curves. Views are breathtaking while climbing up the Alps, an experience not to be missed!



Università degli Studi di Firenze

• Higher Education
• 700 & Above Employee

• Professor

  • Jan 1990 - Present

  Professor of Machine Design Chair of the courses "Rolling Stock Design and Manufacturing" and "Integrated Design of Railway Systems" at the School of Mechanical Engineering of the University of Florence. >135 papers published and available on www.andreabracciali.it Professor of Machine Design Chair of the courses "Rolling Stock Design and Manufacturing" and "Integrated Design of Railway Systems" at the School of Mechanical Engineering of the University of Florence. >135 papers published and available on www.andreabracciali.it



GCF GENERALE COSTRUZIONI FERROVIARIE SPA

• Italy
• Railroad Equipment Manufacturing
• 100 - 200 Employee

• Technical assistance for a railway accident

  • May 2017 - Present

  On April, 25th an On-Track Machine ran away on the steep slope between Bressanone and Fortezza, Italy. The accident happened at night when the line was closed. A criminal investigation is in progress at the moment (4 Aug 2017) and no other details can be given. I will assist GCF CEO acting as a Technical Expert for the company. On April, 25th an On-Track Machine ran away on the steep slope between Bressanone and Fortezza, Italy. The accident happened at night when the line was closed. A criminal investigation is in progress at the moment (4 Aug 2017) and no other details can be given. I will assist GCF CEO acting as a Technical Expert for the company.



Hitachi Rail

• United Kingdom
• Truck Transportation
• 700 & Above Employee

• Wheel life optimization consultant

  • Nov 2021 - Feb 2023

  Consulting Hitachi Rail to optimize life of wheels in UK fleet. Checking maintenance processes as well as vehicle running dynamics behaviour. Great potentials to improve condition-based maintenance by using Perpetuum devices. Consulting Hitachi Rail to optimize life of wheels in UK fleet. Checking maintenance processes as well as vehicle running dynamics behaviour. Great potentials to improve condition-based maintenance by using Perpetuum devices.



TX Logistik AG

• Germany
• Truck Transportation
• 100 - 200 Employee

• Technical consultant on railway noise

  • Jun 2020 - Nov 2022

  Railway noise generated by the transit of freight trains depends heavily on the type of brake blocks used (in cast iron or organic/synthetic material). In 2017, some railway enterprises were sued for the high night noise in the city of Trento, in the North of Italy. In this job I will assist the lawyers of the then CEO of TX Logistik who is under investigation for "Disturbance of occupations or people's rest" pursuant to art. 659 of the Italian Penal Code. The recent publication of the TSI NOI 2019 and related documents will be essential for the defense of the accused. Update 29.11.2022: with the hearing of 17.11.2022, my job is finished. I hope the customer was satisfied... let's wait for the sentence and then we'll see if I did a good job. Fingers crossed.



Rail Traction Company

• Truck Transportation
• 1 - 100 Employee

• Technical Consultant

  • Aug 2021 - Mar 2022

  Although the job is already finished, I'll leave it here on LinkedIn for a while. I investigated the derailment of a set of three locomotives in an intermodal terminal. The first and the second locomotives were damaged, together with a simple turnout and a double slip turnout, because a switch was moved when the first loco was passing over it (unbelievable). As an expert (? :-) ) on signalling, turnouts and point machines, I made some interesting discoveries that, unfortunately, I cannot report here about.



Ministero delle Infrastrutture e dei Trasporti

• Italy
• Government Administration
• 700 & Above Employee

• Member of the Commission on ropeways, cableways and funicular railways

  • Feb 2020 - Dec 2021

  The goal of the Royal Decree 177 (17.1.1926) is to create "an advisory body to provide its contribution in order to regulate, both from a technical and legal-administrative point of view, the installation and operation of aerial and terrestrial funiculars intended for the public transport service". (in Italian: "organo consultivo atto a fornire il proprio contributo al fine di regolamentare, sia dal punto di vista tecnico che giuridico-amministrativo, l’impianto e l’esercizio delle funicolari aeree e terrestri destinate al pubblico servizio di trasporto")



INOVYN

• United Kingdom
• Chemical Manufacturing
• 700 & Above Employee

• Wheelsets expert

  • Jul 2021 - Oct 2021

  Some defects were found in wheelsets of two-axle flat wagons carrying ISO-tank containers filled with liquid chlorine. Logistics and safety issues had to be tackled and solved to allow delivery of the product to the final customer respecting all regulations. Worked with the customer to manage the situation quickly and safely. Problem solved. Some defects were found in wheelsets of two-axle flat wagons carrying ISO-tank containers filled with liquid chlorine. Logistics and safety issues had to be tackled and solved to allow delivery of the product to the final customer respecting all regulations. Worked with the customer to manage the situation quickly and safely. Problem solved.



Anm Azienda Napoletana Mobilità

• Italy
• Utilities
• 1 - 100 Employee

• Metro vehicles non-critical structural repair

  • Jun 2021 - Oct 2021

  Air compressor attachments to carbody of nearly 30 years old metro vehicles in Naples suffered cracks due to fatigue. As new vehicle are going to be gradually introduced in service, a repair approach was selected instead of making large modifications of the interested area. Welding procedures (WPS) and welders qualifications (including WPQR) of a potential supplier were all checked and validated. NDT with UT and PT were all discussed with a specialized company in order to minimize risks of further failures. A risk analysis according to regulation 402 and following modifications was performed. As the regulation is strictly not applicable outside the railway filed, it was used as a guideline and the results were submitted to Ministry of Transportation offices for approval. Problem fixed, vehicles repaired, no service disruptions.



Trenord

• Italy
• Transportation/Trucking/Railroad
• 700 & Above Employee

• Structural and running dynamics expertise on the failure of a DMU primary suspension spring

  • May 2019 - Oct 2021

  A helical springs primary suspension suffered several (11) failures in service. As the vehicle is spread in many countries, finding the root cause of the breaks is really puzzling.Structural analyses in the non-linear domain (including large deflections and contacts between coils), innovative in-service non-destructive testing techniques and vehicle running dynamics tests were made to ascertain the possible origin of the problem.Final report released in October 2021. Send a message for more details.

• Railway Noise measuring team leader

  • Feb 2021 - Jul 2021

  Noise measurements according to Italian legislation (DPR 459/1998) are "difficult". As limits are particularly stringent but measuring conditions are not fully specified, some skills are needed to avoid passing the limits.Measurements were performed by taking further boundary conditions from other existing standards/regulations (TSI Loc&Pas, EN ISO 3095, EN 13231-2, EN 15610, EN 15461), performing additional measurements not required by Italian standard.Acitivity done with success.

• Technical assistance for a railway accident

  • Feb 2018 - Jul 2020

  On January, 25th 2018 a TRENORD commuter train travelling towards Milan at around 140 km/h derailed just before the station of Pioltello. Three people died and more than 40 were injured in the resulting crash. A criminal investigation was conducted by the Public Prosecutor in Milan.I assisted TRENORD acting as a Technical Expert for the company's defending counsel.On 29 Oct 2019 the preliminary investigation was concluded. TRENORD position has been severed from the criminal proceedings.Railway Police made available a video reconstruction of the accident (see the video at the link:https://media.gedidigital.it/repubblicatv/file/2019/10/30/670101/670101-video-rrtv-650-s191030_pioltello_ricostruzione.mp4



Agenzia Nazionale per la Sicurezza delle Ferrovie

• Florence, Tuscany, Italy

• Member of the Working Group drafting the Guideline on Railway Track and Permanent Way Maintenance

  • Apr 2020 - Jun 2021

  Member of the Working Group drafting the Guideline on Railway Track and Permanent Way Maintenance at Agenzia Nazionale per la Sicurezza delle Ferrovie. I was invited to be part of the working group as described in the following letter from ANSF: "This Agency, with a view to promoting the general maintenance and, where reasonably practicable, the constant improvement of railway safety, taking into account the evolution of European Union law and international standards, technical and scientific progress and giving the priority for accident prevention has deemed it appropriate to draw up a guideline relating to the management of the railway track and the permanent way."



TITAGARH FIREMA S.P.A.

• Italy
• Railroad Equipment Manufacturing
• 1 - 100 Employee

• Independent Consultant

  • Nov 2020 - Dec 2020

  Apologies to my English-speaking contacts and followers, this job is purely domestic...Il Decreto attuativo del 29.7.2015 del Ministro dell'Economia e delle Finanze (G.U. n. 174) ha fornito le disposizioni applicative per poter dare attuazione al credito d’imposta per investimenti in attività di ricerca e sviluppo di cui all’art. 3 del D.L. 23 dicembre 2013 n. 145 e successive modificazioni ed integrazioni.In tale Decreto vengono elencate in maniera puntuale le attività di ricerca e sviluppo agevolabili, consistenti nella ricerca fondamentale, nella ricerca industriale e nello sviluppo sperimentale.Titagarh Firema SpA, coadiuvata dallo Studio Coccia & Associati di Napoli (www.cocciaeassociati.com) e dal Dott. Roberto Ascione, ha predisposto tutta la documentazione contabile e redatto una RELAZIONE INTRODUTTIVA AI PROGETTI DI RICERCA INDUSTRIALE E SVILUPPO SPERIMENTALE.Al fine di disporre una valutazione terza della valenza delle attività descritte nella relazione in termini effettivi di ricerca e sviluppo, Titagarh Firema mi ha incaricato di analizzare tutta la documentazione e di esprimere un parere indipendente in merito.La ultratrentennale esperienza in termini di Ricerca e Sviluppo consentirà di effettuare la valutazione suddetta con il massimo rigore, nell'interesse non solo dell'azienda ma anche delle regole di etica e di correttezza alle quali un professionista si deve sempre ispirare.

• Technical Consultant on track layout and manufacturing/maintenance facilities

  • Aug 2020 - Nov 2020

  Reshaping the historical manufacturing plant in Caserta, Italy, to make it compliant with modern needs is the challenge Titagarh Firema Italy (TF) is facing today.A fundamental part of this process is the modification of the existing track layout within the TF property, including the connection to a new full-trainset test area and a large yard able to accommodate trains up to 350 m long. Although Firema was renowned in the past for manufacturing vehicles, this capability will be complemented by new maintenance skills on modern EMUs/DMUs with or without Jakobs bogies.I am currently assisting TF CEO and his crew to find out some "brilliant" solution to achieve this target considering all the boundaries and constraints of a fairly old and very crowded industrial area.Designing track layout, writing specifications, evaluating offers and following the practical building of this "small revolution" kept me very busy and was exciting as well.

• Vehicle-Track Interaction Consultant

  • May 2020 - Oct 2020

  Recently, low-speed derailments of two fully homologated EMU vehicles manufactured by Titagarh Firema triggered the need to have recourse to expertise on vehicle-track interaction.Co-operation with both railway enterprise and infrastructure owner will be as usual the key to get the correct report to send to Italian NSA as prescribed by EU Safety Directive as transposed in the Italian legislation. At the end of the investigations, the trains were fully discharged as they were recognised not to be responsible for the derailiments.



FRANCESCO VENTURA COSTRUZIONI FERROVIARIE - SRL

• Italy
• 1 - 100 Employee

• Technical Consultant

  • Jun 2020 - Dec 2020

  Thirteen years after the successful trials we performed on Metronapoli tracks, we are preparing the replacement of original fastenings in the Vanvitelli-Fossa Muzii strech of Linea 1 metro participating to the tender issued by the Municipality of Naples. I am currently involved in the technical matters of the application of a comprehensive set of Pandrol products (Vanguard, VIPA, DFF:ADH) on both tracks and turnouts to cope with the stringent requirements in terms of vibration attenuation. The project should end early 2022 and I'll be performing vibration measurements before and after the installation of the new fastening systems. I extensively worked in this metro with many valuable colleagues for nearly 10 years and I'm proud of being part of this job.



Marcegaglia

• Italy
• Mining
• 300 - 400 Employee

• Technical Consultant for a rail accident

  • Nov 2019 - Dec 2020

  On July 6th, 2017 two Shimmns freight wagons carrying steel coils derailed near Castione Marchesi, Fidenza, Italy. The investigations carried out by the prosecutor's office ended in October 2019. Some employees of the steel company Marcegaglia were indicted for culpable omission which caused the railway accident. The lawyer of the company Marcegaglia contacted me to technically support the defense of the offenders. The position of the suspects of the Marcegaglia company was filed at the end of the investigation phase as the changes made to the track by the infrastructure manager did not allow to ascertain responsibility.



ATAC SpA

• Italy
• Truck Transportation
• 700 & Above Employee

• Wheel-Rail Interaction expertise

  • Jan 2020 - Nov 2020

  Back to my very first love... Wheel-rail coupling, wear, rail corrugation, RCF, flange lubrication, running dynamics, vehicle guidance & stability, wheel reprofiling, rail grinding... I will tackle all these issues in a new job. I was appointed by the public transportation authority in Rome to analyse the outcomes of the service on one of their lines. The job ended with the emission of two reports addressing all the questions on the issue. Possibly, the outcomes will be reported to an international conference and/or the results will be published on a scientific journal.



INOVYN

• United Kingdom
• Chemical Manufacturing
• 700 & Above Employee

• Logistics Consultant

  • Jun 2020 - Oct 2020

  Manufacturing and logistics improvement of filling and shunting tanks carrying liquide chlorine within the Rosignano (Italy) site. An ambitious and challenging multi-year project aiming at renewing the entire fleet of tank wagons and flat wagons (ISO tank containers) as well as completely reviewing the track yard within the plant. Liquid chlorine tank filling building and equipment will be modified accordingly. The design activities were conducted successfully, leading to sound and technically feasible proposals. All the activities were carried out considering the strong limitations arising from the management of dangerous goods.



Rail Cargo Carrier - Germany GmbH

• Milan Area, Italy

• President of the Internal Investigation Commission on a vehicle derailment

  • Feb 2019 - Aug 2020

  On 02.02.2019, a wagon derailed in Albaredo, Italy. Rail Cargo Carrier was the railway enterprise giving traction to train 63729. CEO of Rail Cargo Carrier Italy appointed me as the President of the Internal Investigation Commission. As the works are still in progress, no other details can be given here. On 02.02.2019, a wagon derailed in Albaredo, Italy. Rail Cargo Carrier was the railway enterprise giving traction to train 63729. CEO of Rail Cargo Carrier Italy appointed me as the President of the Internal Investigation Commission. As the works are still in progress, no other details can be given here.



CAF (Construcciones y Auxiliar de Ferrocarriles)

• Spain
• Railroad Equipment Manufacturing
• 700 & Above Employee

• Vibration measurements team leader on an Milan metro vehicle

  • Feb 2018 - Nov 2019

  Squeal noise during braking is typical of both road and rail vehicles. Low frequency noise (aka "groan noise") is far less common. Troubleshooting requires accurate measurements, a validated dynamic model of the system and a number of strategies to deploy before the most convenient one is identified. Squeal noise during braking is typical of both road and rail vehicles. Low frequency noise (aka "groan noise") is far less common. Troubleshooting requires accurate measurements, a validated dynamic model of the system and a number of strategies to deploy before the most convenient one is identified.



INOVYN

• United Kingdom
• Chemical Manufacturing
• 700 & Above Employee

• Consultant for the derailment of a tank wagon carrying chloroform

  • Jan 2019 - Oct 2019

  On October 25th, 2018, a tank wagon carrying approximately 60 tons of chloroform derailed near Rapallo (Genoa) during a trip from the filler (INOVYN) and the customer. No damage to people, only some km of tracks and the running gear of the vehicle itself. The Prosecutor's Office in Genoa opened an investigation. I am acting as the Technical Consultant for INOVYN (Rosignano plant). As the investigation is in process, no other details can be given here. On October 25th, 2018, a tank wagon carrying approximately 60 tons of chloroform derailed near Rapallo (Genoa) during a trip from the filler (INOVYN) and the customer. No damage to people, only some km of tracks and the running gear of the vehicle itself. The Prosecutor's Office in Genoa opened an investigation. I am acting as the Technical Consultant for INOVYN (Rosignano plant). As the investigation is in process, no other details can be given here.



Hitachi Rail

• United Kingdom
• Truck Transportation
• 700 & Above Employee

• N&V Consultant for Copenhagen Cityringen project

  • May 2019 - Aug 2019

  Performing rail roughness measurement and analysis to correlate tunnel vibrations to track conditions. Analyzing the data from vibration measurements (data supplied by Hitachi Rail STS). Correlation of estimated vibration environment with actual data. Identification of possible improvement of infrastructure modeling. Performing rail roughness measurement and analysis to correlate tunnel vibrations to track conditions. Analyzing the data from vibration measurements (data supplied by Hitachi Rail STS). Correlation of estimated vibration environment with actual data. Identification of possible improvement of infrastructure modeling.



SIMPRO S.p.A.

• Italy
• Automation Machinery Manufacturing
• 1 - 100 Employee

• Consultant for the Railway Test Centre in Florence, Italy

  • Jan 2019 - May 2019

  On January, 2019 the Railway Test Centre in Florence, Italy was completed. The owner, RFI SpA, issued the administrative test report, finding some non-conformities in the testing machines designed, built and delivered by SIMPRO. SIMPRO made their own comments on the report. According to the Italian laws on public contracts, an "amicable settlement procedure" was instated to try to solve the conflict without going in front of the court. SIMPRO contacted me to help them through this procedure (works ongoing, to be finished by 27 May 2019)



ANSF - Agenzia Nazionale per la Sicurezza delle Ferrovie (Italian NSA)

• Florence Area, Italy

• President of a Selection Commission

  • Nov 2018 - Feb 2019

  ANSF had to select two managers from other Italian Public Admnistrations according to Italian laws on "mobility within public employment". They contact the Rector of University of Florence, then the Dean of the Department of Industrial Engineering who submitted three names, from which ANSF chose me to act as the President of the Selection Commission. The selection ended on February 2018. Very nice experience. ANSF had to select two managers from other Italian Public Admnistrations according to Italian laws on "mobility within public employment". They contact the Rector of University of Florence, then the Dean of the Department of Industrial Engineering who submitted three names, from which ANSF chose me to act as the President of the Selection Commission. The selection ended on February 2018. Very nice experience.



Salcef Group

• Italy
• Rail Transportation
• 200 - 300 Employee

• Consultant

  • Nov 2018 - Feb 2019

  Tram market analysis. Comparison of architecture, performance, costs. Environmental issues taken into particular consideration (noise, hybrid power) Results going to be published at TRAM 2019 conference in Rome, Italy, 29-30 May 2019. Tram market analysis. Comparison of architecture, performance, costs. Environmental issues taken into particular consideration (noise, hybrid power) Results going to be published at TRAM 2019 conference in Rome, Italy, 29-30 May 2019.



IPE LOCOMOTORI 2000 S.R.L.

• Verona Area, Italy

• Chief Designer at www.ipelocomotori2000.it to develop a motor bogie for a diesel locomotive

  • Mar 2018 - Sep 2018

  Every well-done engineering work must have solid foundations. That's why when IPE Locomotori 2000 decided to develop a new 1.5 MW (2000 HP) diesel-hydraulic locomotive specifically designed for track maintenance trains they started from the motor bogie. I will lead the design team and I will coordinate our valuable suppliers to conceive a simple, robust, easily maintainable and cost-effective architecture. Challenging task! Every well-done engineering work must have solid foundations. That's why when IPE Locomotori 2000 decided to develop a new 1.5 MW (2000 HP) diesel-hydraulic locomotive specifically designed for track maintenance trains they started from the motor bogie. I will lead the design team and I will coordinate our valuable suppliers to conceive a simple, robust, easily maintainable and cost-effective architecture. Challenging task!



Salcef Group

• Italy
• Rail Transportation
• 200 - 300 Employee

• Noise & Vibration measurement team leader for SRT OTM locomotive & grinding cart

  • Jan 2018 - Feb 2018

  SRT, a company of the SALCEF group, designed and built a locomotive for trackwork trains able to house a grinding module. I lead the AB Consulting team measuring noise and vibrations according to the series of EN 14033 and all related standards: noise at standstill, starting, at driver's position, at maximum speed, during working, and so on. Hand-arm and whole body vibrations are measured as well at both driver (maximum speed) and operator positions (during grinding). SRT, a company of the SALCEF group, designed and built a locomotive for trackwork trains able to house a grinding module. I lead the AB Consulting team measuring noise and vibrations according to the series of EN 14033 and all related standards: noise at standstill, starting, at driver's position, at maximum speed, during working, and so on. Hand-arm and whole body vibrations are measured as well at both driver (maximum speed) and operator positions (during grinding).



Ansaldo STS A Hitachi Group Company

• Italy
• Truck Transportation
• 700 & Above Employee

• Consultant

  • Nov 2017 - Jan 2018

  Preliminary vibroacoustic assessment for the Automated People Mover to be realized at Los Angeles LAX airport Preliminary vibroacoustic assessment for the Automated People Mover to be realized at Los Angeles LAX airport



VALVITALIA GROUP

• Italy
• Oil and Gas
• 300 - 400 Employee

• Application of fire protection system to ETR500 trainset

  • Apr 2017 - Jul 2017

  Retrofit of the fleet of 60 ETR500 Trenitalia trainsets. Consultancy to assist the company in front of the administrative court of Lazio (Rome region) after a recourse issued by a competing company. Issue of a technical report linking the number of spare parts and the estimated MTBF of the components of the fire protection system. The trial was later moved to Veneto (Venice region) and the tender was eventually assigned to Valvitalia. Retrofit of the fleet of 60 ETR500 Trenitalia trainsets. Consultancy to assist the company in front of the administrative court of Lazio (Rome region) after a recourse issued by a competing company. Issue of a technical report linking the number of spare parts and the estimated MTBF of the components of the fire protection system. The trial was later moved to Veneto (Venice region) and the tender was eventually assigned to Valvitalia.



CAF (Construcciones y Auxiliar de Ferrocarriles)

• Spain
• Railroad Equipment Manufacturing
• 700 & Above Employee

• Braking system modification to remedy abnormal vibrations and failures

  • Jan 2017 - Jul 2017

  Metro Milano was experiencing some problems with the braking system of a trailer bogie. A combined numerical/experimental vibration analysis was conducted identifying the root cause of the problem. A very simple, low-cost and effective solution was proposed. Line tests conducted at the beginning of August 2017 showed that the problem was completely solved. The implementation on the whole fleet will follow in the next months. Metro Milano was experiencing some problems with the braking system of a trailer bogie. A combined numerical/experimental vibration analysis was conducted identifying the root cause of the problem. A very simple, low-cost and effective solution was proposed. Line tests conducted at the beginning of August 2017 showed that the problem was completely solved. The implementation on the whole fleet will follow in the next months.



Italcertifer S.p.A.

• Italy
• Rail Transportation
• 100 - 200 Employee

• Coordinator of the Rolling Stock Sector

  • Nov 2015 - Dec 2016

  Coordinator (consultant) of the Rolling Stock Sector. Reporting to Technical director.Analysis of financial aspects of rolling stock certification jobs. Reporting to CEO.Management of HR associated.Relationships with Italian NSA (ANSF) and all the main customers (Trenitalia, Bombardier, Alstom, Hitachi Rail Italy, Pesa, CAF, Stadler, Mermec, Titagarh Firema Adler, LucchiniRS, Newag, Siemens, Timken, Matisa, ...)

• Design and commissioning of an innovative calibration bench for instrumented wheelsets

  • Nov 2013 - Nov 2016

  Italcertifer needed to change its old instrumented wheelsets calibration bench and ordered me to design a totally new bench where the wheelset can be rotated while loaded and with tho possibility to freely change the contact point on the wheel tread. The bench is fully working and the first instrumented wheelset was delivered to a customer on July 2017.

• Safety assessment on structural components of railway rolling stock (expert assessor, >10 years)

  • May 2013 - Oct 2015

  Rolling Stock independent safety assessor for structural components (consultant).Main components assessed:1) wheelsets (wheels, axles, bearings)2) bogie frames3) suspension components (springs, dampers)4) carbodies and associated elements (including interiors)5) couplings6) othersMost important vehicles/jobs1) V300Zefiro AnsaldoBreda/Hitachi2) Qualification of CAF wheels (spare parts for Trenitalia)3) Talgo train for Haramain project (Saudi Arabia)

• Instrumenting a 150 m-radius curve to homologate rolling stock

  • May 2012 - Dec 2013

  Italcertifer needed to develop a measuring system to instrument a flat (no cant) sharp curve (R=150 m) without transition in their lab in Florence, Italy. This instrumentation is needed to homologate vehicles checking safety against derailment (Method 2 of EN 14363:2016). I have designed the measuring system that was accepted by the Italian accreditation body (Accredia) and checked by the Italian National Safety Authority (ANSF). Until today (2017) more than 15 trains were tested, including single IRW vehicles (Talgo).



Trenitalia

• Rail Transportation
• 700 & Above Employee

• Research on maintenance costs on an innovative wheelset

  • Oct 2015 - May 2016

  A new type of wheelset with wheels supported by roller bearings and connected through a transmission shaft has been proposed recently. This design resembles the typical independently rotating wheels architecture, widely used in low-floor trams, but with the peculiarity that the wheels look “apparently” independent (from which the acronym AIR wheelset, i.e. Apparently IRW). The presence of torsional constraint and the use of a torque limiter guarantee both optimal running dynamics at high speed and high track friendliness on winding lines. Trenitalia maintenance practice of conventional wheelsets is described and compared to the possible cycle for the AIR wheelset, showing that distinct advantages may be obtained under several aspects.



Italo Treno – NTV

• Italy
• Truck Transportation
• 700 & Above Employee

• Technical Consultant

  • Mar 2015 - Jul 2015

  I was appointed as an expert in rolling stock mechanics to investigate on a number of minor malfunctioning of a train. Reporting to the Technical Director. It was ascertained that all of the failures are minor. I was appointed as an expert in rolling stock mechanics to investigate on a number of minor malfunctioning of a train. Reporting to the Technical Director. It was ascertained that all of the failures are minor.



Saga s.r.l.

• Truck Transportation
• 1 - 100 Employee

• Solving machining problems on casted manganese steel crossings

  • Sep 2013 - Mar 2014

  SAGA set up a fully-robotized plant to restore casted manganese steel crossings, facing enormous trouble trying to mill a so hard material with a tool mounted on the arm of a robot designed for pick & place. A thorough analysis of the dynamics of the robot in the whole working range and an accurate selection of cutting parameters totally solved the problems. The company is now restoring hundreds of crossings every year. SAGA set up a fully-robotized plant to restore casted manganese steel crossings, facing enormous trouble trying to mill a so hard material with a tool mounted on the arm of a robot designed for pick & place. A thorough analysis of the dynamics of the robot in the whole working range and an accurate selection of cutting parameters totally solved the problems. The company is now restoring hundreds of crossings every year.



Polizia di Stato

• Law Enforcement
• 700 & Above Employee

• Managing Investigations in the Urgent Phase Following Railway Accidents

  • Jun 2012 - Mar 2014

  Railway accident investigations in Italy are carried out by several institutions, with different goals. Railway Police, a specialization of State Police, is the crime investigation department responsible for the surveys that must be done immediately after an accident. After defining the field of operation and the limitations of each of the subjects involved in the aftermath of a railway accident, this paper describes the experiences of the authors that were involved in a number of railway accidents that recently occurred in Italy. One of the weak points that were found in these cases was the limitation of Railway Police officers to take autonomous decisions without waiting for other subject’s involvement, even in those cases where the root cause of the accident was absolutely evident. This limitation may be overcome by a specific teaching programme that allows Railway Police operators to fully understand the evidences that in some cases clearly emerge from the survey conducted after the accident. Such a programme, when properly structured (for example by using the European Standards in force for the normalization of rail components) and surveyed, could bring substantial benefits - saving both time and cost. While the first item is getting more and more critical for the modern railway infrastructure which is certainly more trafficked that in the past, the second could result from a noticeable simplification of investigations when there are no doubts on the causes of an accident. To such goal, the institution of a dedicated register of specialists is proposed to be set up, suitably trained with the procedures to be applied just after the accident.



Lucchini Spa

• Italy
• Mining
• 100 - 200 Employee

• Naturally hard rails development for Lucchini SpA

  • Jan 2010 - Mar 2014

  Lucchini developed a naturally hard (lightly alloyed) steel grade to produce rails. It was tested in very demanding installations in a metro (in Italy) and in several curve (in Switzerland). Results were particularly good. I dealt with welds, installation and regular feedback from service, performing hardness, profile and NDY inspections. Unfortunately Lucchini SpA went bankrupt in 2013. Lucchini developed a naturally hard (lightly alloyed) steel grade to produce rails. It was tested in very demanding installations in a metro (in Italy) and in several curve (in Switzerland). Results were particularly good. I dealt with welds, installation and regular feedback from service, performing hardness, profile and NDY inspections. Unfortunately Lucchini SpA went bankrupt in 2013.



Tecnologie Meccaniche

• Italy
• Railroad Equipment Manufacturing
• 1 - 100 Employee

• Vibration in signalling equipment - what the standards don't say

  • Jun 2012 - Apr 2013

  Tecnologie Meccaniche had to test an electromechanical equipment to be applied to a railway switch. They contacted me and we organized a test campaign in December 2012. The results were compared to previous activities done for General Electric Transportation Systems and for Alstom Ferroviaria Italy originating this paper that is an updated and extended version of a previous paper published in 2005. Tecnologie Meccaniche had to test an electromechanical equipment to be applied to a railway switch. They contacted me and we organized a test campaign in December 2012. The results were compared to previous activities done for General Electric Transportation Systems and for Alstom Ferroviaria Italy originating this paper that is an updated and extended version of a previous paper published in 2005.



Rail Traction Company

• Truck Transportation
• 1 - 100 Employee

• Technical Consultant for a railway accident

  • Jun 2012 - Jan 2013

  A freight train derailed at the North entrance of the Bressanone (Brixen) station in the Alto Adige region (Sued Tyrol), Italy. RTC involved me as the technical consultant to support the investigations. RTC was in fact the railway enterprise whose locomotive was hauling the train. The root cause was found to be the displacement of three of the eight wheels of the first wagon. The locomotive as well as many wagons derailed with considerable damages to the infrastructure. No people were injured. The accident gave the inspiration to write, years later, a paper on railway accidents together with Dr. Mauro Monti from PolFer (the Italian Railway Police) that was given at the "Railway Technology" conference in Ajaccio, Corsica, 2014.



CONSORZIO CAVET CONSORZIO ALTA VELOCITA'​ EMILIA TOSCANA

• "Vaglia"​ tunnel - High Speed Line Bologna-Florence (Italy)

• Assessment of abnormal ballast migration on a high-speed line

  • Dec 2010 - Dec 2010

  Soon after the opening of the high-speed line Bologna-Firenze in 2009, abnormal ballast movements were observed in the Southbound track within the "Vaglia" tunnel where the trains run at 300 km/h. Specific measurements were taken and a 3-m long wavelenght dominant straightness defect of the rail was found. This observation, together with measurements performed in the previous years, triggered the publication of a paper on this kind of defects that arise from the rail cold straightening process.



ARST Gestione FdS s.r.l.

• Cagliari Area, Italy

• Member of the commission for the European tender on historical rolling stock restoration

  • Jun 2010 - Jun 2010

  Sardinia region issued a tender for the restoration of historical rolling stock running on the island narrow gauge railways. The commission, made of three experts working for ARST Gestione FdS, had no knowledge on steam locomotives. I was appointed as a consultant to the commission as one of the few experts in Italy with the proper knowledge on steam locomotives. Unfortunately, the company who won the tender ran bankrupt the following year and no restorations were performed. Sardinia region issued a tender for the restoration of historical rolling stock running on the island narrow gauge railways. The commission, made of three experts working for ARST Gestione FdS, had no knowledge on steam locomotives. I was appointed as a consultant to the commission as one of the few experts in Italy with the proper knowledge on steam locomotives. Unfortunately, the company who won the tender ran bankrupt the following year and no restorations were performed.



Lucchini RS

• Italy
• Industrial Machinery Manufacturing
• 300 - 400 Employee

• Co-author of the book "Railway Noise: the Contribution of Wheels"​

  • Apr 2008 - Sep 2009

  From the rear cover of the book: "Lucchini RS committed to try to help its customers to reduce several types of railway noise that are described in this book... The book is structured in three chapters in order to give the reader a general information as wide as possible without entering mathematical details that are extremely complicated in acoustics. The first part of the book, written by Prof. A. Bracciali, is an introduction to railway acoustics dealing with railway noise generation and control mechanism. Although the goal of the book is to describe mainly the wheels, this part shows how reducing the overall external noise is a teamwork task, involving also the infrastructure and a number of specifically devoted maintenance techniques. The second part of the book, written by Dr. M. Pippert, is a comprehensive excursus of the legislation in force in Europe and in the world on the subject of railway noise abatement. Legal and political frameworks are described and discussed, together with a number of arguments that are in favour of the train as the most environment friendly transportation mean. The third part of the book, written by Dr. S. Cervello, describes Lucchini products to reduce railway noise that are the direct consequence of a long development of laboratories equipment and of technical skills of Lucchini R&D employees. Low noise wheels for high speed, regional and mass transit (metro, tram) trains are described, together with research in progress for heavy haul trains...."