The Railway Supply Institute (RSI) has developed a new technical standard for tank car components that could benefit smaller facilities that produce them.
The RSI-100 Production Certification Standard is a recommended practice for railway parts suppliers to produce tank car components in conformance with federal regulations and Association of American Railroads (AAR)-approved specification, according to RSI.
The new technical standard provides guidelines that allow railcar component suppliers to produce certain tank car components without having to first be certified by AAR.
“This standard will provide tank car manufacturers and repair facilities with confidence that products acquired for installation on tank cars conform to the specified quality requirement,” said John Byrne, vice chairman of the RSI Committee on Tank Cars, which developed the standard.
The standard has several objectives: to define the roles and responsibilities between purchasers and suppliers; provide key quality criteria and identify objective evidence to establish compliance; and serve as a tool for certified tank car facilities to engage with noncertified facilities, which are a critical part of the supply chain, according to RSI.
RSI’s committee consulted with the Federal Railroad Administration and AAR when it developed this standard.
The standard will be available to the industry at no cost, RSI said. The RSI Quality Assurance Committee will be reviewing federal requirements and AAR standards on an ongoing basis to ensure that the RSI-100 standards are aligned and continue to be a best recommended practice for tank car component suppliers. Should changes be needed, RSI will adjust and revise the standard.
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