The small wheel contact area on the rails is subject to intense surface stresses causing rolling contact fatigue. This phenomenon can be avoided or at least reduced by cyclical metal removal and applying special profiles through rail grinding. German Railway (DB AG) and Speno International have started a long-term research project in order to optimize the grinding strategy. As the presented research work is halfway through the second phase of fairly long-lasting project it is still too early for definite conclusions. The optimization of the wear regime requires therefore more grinding interventions and related observations. Removing too much metal by heavy grinding or in an inappropriate way in order to avoid surface fatigue problems could result in too much metal loss and premature rail withdrawal due to wear. The continued testing of various grinding cycles in the coming years will provide well-documented information about surface fatigue development and reduction. After having found the appropriate target profile for grinding surface fatigue defects with suitable production tolerances, the correct timing of the grinding interventions will assure a economically justified equilibrium between surface fatigue treatment and wear control. Thus it will be possible to extend rail service life to maximum, when no more fatigue is the determining factor for rail withdrawal but wear. Taking into account the grinding cycles and re-railing interval it should finally be possible to reduce their life-cycle-costs of rail and contribute to a most economic track maintenance strategy. In view of the length of the program, which has already been divided in two phases it seems appropriate to discuss the situation at present and present intermediate results and experiences as momentarily available in order to encourage parallel tests for corroboration and to prevent avoidable errors in current surface fatigue grinding interventions.


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    Title :

    Rail surface fatigue and grinding: exploring the interaction


    Contributors:
    Schoech, W. (author) / Heyder, R. (author)


    Publication date :

    2003


    Size :

    6 Seiten, 6 Bilder, 3 Quellen



    Type of media :

    Conference paper


    Type of material :

    Print


    Language :

    English




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