Amazing ᴍᴀɴufacturing ᴍᴇᴛʜods And The Perfect Railway Wheel Production Process

Long-distance trains impose a lot of stress on their wheels. It’s crucial to meet their dimensional tolerance and surface quality requirements for passenger comfort as well as safety. The production process for finished wheels entails multiple forming procedures, metal cutting, and testing. In a rotary kiln, blanks are heated prior to compression forging. After the centre is punched out, the profile is rolled-formed. After bending the wheel to its final shape, the rim is cooled in water to harden it.

The mechanical characteristics of the wheel are then examined to determine whether it is prepared for additional milling. The wheel’s hub, web, and rim are all machined to the necessary proportions and level of surface finish. Round inserts and over and under coolant are combined for optimum perforᴍᴀɴce and chip evacuation. By using non-destructive testing, the wheel surface is confirmed to fulfil quality and tolerance standards.

Then it is fixed to the axis, put on the train, and made operational. After some time on the tracks, the wheels need to be brought back. When the train reaches the machine shop, every crack, flat place, and deformed flange is fixed. Until the wheels are ready for another cycle they are returned to their prior standard.