TRACK EQUIPMENT
Strabag Rail - road-rail milling machine the new tool for the tool box
T
he rail industry is increasingly being challenged to improve
the management of one of its basic and most expensive assets - rails. This is being met by better understanding of the role of rail metallurgy, lubrication, profiles and direct “intervention” through material removal.
Of these, the latter has seen the development of the rail grinding machine from the earliest days of tramways to “multi-stone” trains, but after some 100 years a step change in technology, rail milling, has arrived for the toolbox.
UK promotion of this technology is by Bakerail Services director, Paul Baker. He has long been aware of the issues of rail management from both a rolling stock and infrastructure perspective.
Whilst recent research into rolling contact fatigue has increased understanding of the mechanisms, he has sought the development and application of what is needed ‘on the ground’ to manage issues.
Interest in rail milling started in the mid-1990’s when he first saw the prototype and took great interest in this potential ‘new tool.’ Through Strabag Rail this is now available to UK wide operations for application.
Rail management, grinding and milling
The benefits of rail management by grinding has long been recognised in the world rail industry but it has limitations. Milling originated from a static application where rail was returned for re-profiling and
MAN lorry, provides motive power whilst the milling trailer with its power supply carries the milling and grinding systems.
It can on-track in an area of 20 metres within 30 minutes, transit at up to 45km/hour and be working within 15 minutes of site arrival.
On track milling is at a rate of around 600 metres per hour. Between shifts the heads are refurbished, swarf emptied and any servicing carried out.
that from the finished surface with passing trains which means it is now the preferred rail management system for lines in densely populated areas.
cascading back into track. From this came the mobile unit which has developed to an accepted technology for a number of key operators which Strabag Rail now makes available to the UK market.
Safety, environment and quality
Staff can work and trains pass close to the machine safely as there is no risk of any ‘projectiles’ whilst the enclosed and tangential grinding head gives a small ‘spark’ stream with minimal risk of fire.
Environmental credibility, key in today’s products, is high with 99% plus of the arisings recovered for re-cycling, thus minimal debris is left on the track to contaminate signalling, train and track systems.
Noise levels around the working machine are less than 85dB and
48 | rail technology magazine Dec/Jan 11
A consistent, high quality finish is delivered as the profile is in the head. The small milling facets are removed by the grinding head to give a finished roughness of 3-4µmm, perfect for visual or ultrasonic inspection to check for defect removal.
Transverse profile
measurements can be taken with the DB approved DQM or Mini-Prof instruments whilst a hand pushed trolley measures longitudinal profile. All measurements are available to check for compliance and quality control.
Operation
On the road the road-rail miller appears as an articulated HGV lorry. The tractor, based on an
FOR MORE INFORMATION
FOR MORE INFORMATION Paul Baker
Bakerail Services Ltd T: 01480 471349 M: 07779 135-032 E:
paul.baker@
bakerailservices.co.uk
Case examples
A recent case was the task of introducing a new bespoke rail head profile designed for improved vehicle ride. The finished profile met the client’s requirements, improving ride immediately. It “did what it said on the tin,” as one observer succinctly summed it up.
Another application was to correct flattened rail head profile damage and severe fatigue cracking. This was achieved and observers were clearly able to see the progressive correction of the profile along with defect removal.
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