Railway Wheels’ States
Solid wheels for railways must have a number of properties, including sufficient strength, resistance to wear, resistance to heat damage, and noise and vibration characteristics. A solid wheel is made up of three parts: hub, web, and rim. Each portion’s qualities are distinct from one another. The web section must have sufficient mechanical strength to withstand the stresses imposed by the vehicle’s mass, but its configuration must also include thermal stress distribution.
For these, some railway wheel standards (ISO) and railway test methods are conducted. Steel grade should be considered for the rim component from the standpoints of anti-wear and anti-thermal properties, both of which are dependent on the carbon content of the material.
ISO 1005-1: 1994
ISO 1005-1 specifies standards for the manufacturing and delivery of unalloyed steel rough-rolled tyres (chemical composition, physical and mechanical qualities, dimensional parameters, marking). Also included are the buyer’s details, categorization, inspection, delivery, and guarantee. The criteria of ISO 404 are also relevant.
ISO 1005-2:1986
ISO 1005-2 is a standard that was established in 1986. For tyres, wheel centres, and tyred wheels in varying degrees of finish, specifies the dimensions requirements, surface roughness, and, where necessary, the permitted residual static imbalance, as well as the manufacturing requirements for tyred wheels. ISO 1005-1, ISO 1005-4, and ISO 404, respectively, provide quality criteria for tyres and wheel centres, as well as technical delivery requirements.
ISO 1005-3:1982
ISO 1005-3 establishes criteria for the manufacturing and delivery of axles for tractive and trailing stock made of unalloyed and alloyed steels. The criteria of ISO 404 are also applicable in addition to this section of ISO 1005.
ISO 1005-4:1986
ISO 1005-4 defines the criteria for the manufacturing and delivery of unalloyed steel rolled or forged wheel centers for tractive and trailing stock that are suitable for tyring. The hubs of spoked wheels are not covered. The criteria of ISO 404 are also applicable in addition to this section of ISO 1005.
ISO 1005-6:1994
ISO 1005-6 specifies the criteria for the manufacturing and delivery of unalloyed steel rolled, forged, or cast solid wheels (chemical composition, mechanical qualities, appearance and soundness, machining allowance and dimensional tolerances, residual imbalance, marking). Also included are the buyer’s information, categorization, manufacturing, inspection, and delivery. Annnex A explains how to shot peen the web surfaces of wheels. The criteria of ISO 404 are also relevant.
ISO 1005-7:1982
ISO 1005-7:2005 specifies the specifications for press fitting or shrink fitting solid wheel axles, wheel centers, and other components onto axles. It also describes the finished assembly’s dimensions and tolerances, as well as the inspection and supply conditions. Axles and wheels of various sorts, plain or roller axle box bearings, and plain or roller traction motor bearings are all affected.
ISO 1005-8:1986
The dimensions specifications, surface roughness, and residual imbalance of forged, rolled, or cast solid wheels with curved or straight webs in varying degrees of finish are specified in ISO 1005-8. The general technical delivery standards of ISO 404 apply in addition to such criteria.
ISO 1005-9:1986
The dimensions specifications and surface roughnesses are specified in ISO 1005-9. At the time of inquiry and order, the purchaser and manufacturer must agree on the necessary specifications for heavy freight vehicle axles or axles for speeds under 100 kg/h. The general technical delivery standards of ISO 404 apply in addition to these criteria.
ISO 5003:2016
ISO 5003:2016 is one of the railway wheel standards for as-rolled and heat-treated steel rails for railroads. It provides terminology and definitions, information to be provided by the purchaser, dimension and length tolerances, technical requirements, inspection standards, identification, certification, and a quality assurance system.
For conventional and high-speed railway track use, ISO 5003:2016 defines flat bottom (vignole) railway rails having a linear mass of 43 kg/m or more.
There are 19 pearlitic steel grades listed, ranging in hardness from 200 to 400 HBW and includes “non-heat-treated” carbon manganese steels, “non-heat-treated” alloy steels, “heat-treated” carbon manganese steels, and “heat-treated” low alloy steels.
ISO 22055:2019
One of the railway wheel standards, ISO 22055:2019, provides switch and crossing rails that transport railway wheels in accordance with ISO 5003. These are used in combination with railway rails that have a flat bottom (vignole). Secondary processing (forging, grinding, and heat treatment, among other things) is carried out after switch and crossing rails are manufactured in order to make them ready for use on railway tracks. Secondary processing is not included in this paper. Other standards or agreements between the maker and the purchaser specify secondary processing.
Ultrasonic Test for Railway Wheels
Ultrasonic testing is frequently utilized in industrial applications on metals, polymers, composites, and ceramics. Wood and paper goods are the only typical technical materials that cannot be tested with ordinary ultrasonic equipment.
Ultrasonic testing (UT) is a non-destructive testing (NDT) procedure that involves sending ultrasonic waves through a railway wheel. These high-frequency sound waves are injected into materials to characterize them or find flaws. Short pulse waves with frequency ranging from 0.1 to 15 MHz are employed in most UT inspection applications, while frequencies up to 50 MHz can be used.
Railway wheel magnetic testing
To ensure that railway wheel standards are met, magnetic testing may be practical. The technology works on the principle of magnetic inspection, in which the train wheel is placed in a magnetic field, and the cracks generate a magnetic stray field. The fissures are evident using this approach, and they may be easily documented with a high-speed digital camera.
The surface of the railway wheel is examined by a digital camera during the magnetic examination. Our suggested image processing technique is quickly assessed on the recorded images. The whole surface of the train wheels, as well as different sizes of train wheels, may be examined.
Standard Railway Wheel Lasts Long
Heat, according to rail transportation specialists, is the primary cause of broken rail car wheels. Regular inspections may typically find cracks before they cause a catastrophic breakdown, although this isn’t always the case. While most people replace their automobile tires every 80,000 KM or so, Metro train wheels may last up to 1,100,000 KM before needing to be changed. If train wheels constantly followed a straight path, they could go practically eternally. The flanges wear out from cornering, and the train wheels wear out on the flanges.
Metro train wheels are inspected and measured with the use of specific instruments and highly experienced staff. Especially skilled Metro staff replace the wheels as needed to provide a safe and enjoyable ride.