Abstract: The conception, execution, promoting to the railway and use of a railway vehicle follow a complex process that submits to rigorous rules and concepts of applied mechanics. Consequently, a well determined scientific course is generally established, attached to a series of imperiously necessary practical norms:
1. Establishing a set of technical norms that comprise the technical characteristics together with the resulting economic and environmental impact.
2. A theoretical study on the constructive and technical solutions adopted and the finalization of the functional technical characteristics for the execution of the vehicle.
3. The actual design phase, preceded by a series of studies that aim at establishing solutions that will be included in the design of the prototype expecting validation by experimental research.
4. The experimental research that follows a program comprising the response of the vehicle in use, in regards to bearing structures’ resistance, travel safety and travel dynamics.
5. Modification of the design and implicitly of the prototype as a consequence of the findings from the research and trial program and restarting the experimental research process up to finalization. Completing the vehicle implies fulfilling all the requirements established initially.
The experimental research program implies a series of experimental studies which are centered on three important aspects:
1. Experimental studies on the resistance of bearing structures of railway vehicles in static and dynamic regimes, to the shock strains due to collision and the random strains that appear during travel on the railroad.
2. Studies regarding travel safety.
3. Studies on travel dynamics.
Finally, the railway vehicle must respond positively to the total of tests that it is subjected to, thus offering the guarantee of a favourable behavior during use.

Brief Biography of the Speaker:
Ion Copaci graduated from the "Traian Vuia" Polytechnic Institute in Timisoara, Romania, Faculty of Mechanics. He received his Ph.D. in the field of Mechanical Engineering with the thesis „Contributions on the Behaviour of the Bearing Structures of Railway Cars During the Longitudinal Shock Caused by Collision", presented at the "Politehnica" University Timisoara, Faculty of Mechanics, Department of Rolling Stock.
Technical Experience: research in the area of vibrations and shocks on railway vehicles (rolling quality, repeated shock), bearing structure resistance (lifetime, fatigue), elastic elements that equip the suspension or shock insulators of railway vehicles, torsional rigidity and travel safety, quantitative determinations (MATHAR) of the internal stresses on the bearing structures of bogies and Francis turbine rotors. Contributions and experimental research for the promotion on the railway of over 150 freight and passenger railway car prototypes, in almost 30 countries on 5 continents, as a result of over 30 years of research.
Nowadays he is a Professor at the Faculty of Engineering of "Aurel Vlaicu" University, Arad, Romania.
Field of specialization: Railway Transport Vehicles, with disciplines taught: "Dynamics of Railway Vehicles" and "Experimental Research on Railway Vehicles".
He has published over 120 research papers, 7 books and 4 inventor's licences.
He is a member of 6 societies and professional associations and he is a member of the Ukrainian Academy of Science.