Components for rail vehicles have to both extremely resilient and meet high standards in terms of comfort. Achieving a balance between the two competing demands is essential when machining the parts. Particularly in the contact zone between the rail and wheel, the forces must be low enough to allow for the efficient transport of loads at high speeds, while also providing sufficient contact forces for reliable acceleration and braking.
To meet the stringent requirements in terms of durability and precision, materials that are both long-lasting and resistant to deformation are needed. The base material used to make wheelsets, for example, is unalloyed and low-alloy steel. The names and standards applicable to the materials vary from market to market. In the case of wheels for rail vehicles, the majority (95 percent) are made from rolled steel and a much smaller number from cast steel.
The material standards ER1 to ER9 specify the hardness grades, with the most popular standards being ER6 to ER9.
ZCC-CT offers high-quality cutting tools for the precision machining of wheelsets as well as rail and switch components. Our product line includes high-performance turning inserts from the LNUX series for machining wheelsets, solid carbide cutters from the ALP and ALG series for machining aluminum chassis components, and turning inserts from the RCMX series for machining wheelsets and underfloor components.
