In the rail transport sector, the components which have been surfacing engineered are the rails and fastening systems. The rails are longitudinal in designs that are placed in the base sleepers, which are used in the guidance of rolling vehicles or trucks in the railway line. Rails are made of the hardened steel. Fastening systems are the components in the railway line that connects rails with the sleepers. Fasteners are also made of the hardened steel, which is the hardest metal while rail pads are made of polymeric compound materials which enable the rail pads to be dynamic.
Functions of Rails and Fastening Systems in Rail Transport
The rails are made of steel which is the hardest metal because the work of the rails in the railway system is to guide the rolling trucks in the railway line. Their strength and hardness are the main principle characteristics which make the rails maintain their rigid shape, and definitely a smooth track which is important and necessary in the development of a smooth riding experience in the rails. Since their primary function is to contain and accommodate the necessary weight of transport, and the final loads the wheel into the lower base of supporting sleepers in the railway. Therefore, steel is able to support the forces involved in the process of gliding a truck through the surface of the rails; furthermore, this helps to maintain balance, and stability of the rolling trucks. The fastening system which is also another important component in the railway line consists of the rail pads and fasteners. The main primary function of the fasteners is to connect the components of the railway line that is rails with the sleepers. However, not only they are used to connect; however, fasteners can sometimes act like electrical insulations between rails and sleepers. As their main function involves the gliding rails, they, therefore, act in the process of clamping the rail gauge, and then absorb any necessary disturbances, forces and vibrations which may be transmitted or created by the forces of frictions. Therefore, the fastening system needs to be tolerant to both the physical strain of the forces in the process of the gliding effect of the trucks and any natural hazards. The fasteners are usually made up of hardened steel while the rail pads which are dynamic and soft in nature are made up of polymeric like compound materials.
The rails and fasteners, in the railway system have all been surface engineered with different techniques in order to reduce the forces of corrosion and wear that are caused the gliding and ensile forces acting through the movement of trucks respectively. For instance, the rails in the railway line are the major victims of the forces of friction and wearing off their smooth surfaces. Heat temperatures are also in the process of wearing off their smooth linings which, therefore, may hinder smooth gliding of the wheels on the trucks; thus chemistry of the rails’ composition has been engineered in order to improve its resistance to force and the development of friction, heat and wearing off. Carburizing surface engineering technique has been used in the rails which has managed to improve the rail’s hardness and toughness; moreover, this technique has been improvise in order to improve the properties of the rails against the forces of friction which causes wearing, its strength in order to minimize the bending and cracking effect of the rails. This has improved its eroding potential, and the rolling fatigue effect has been minimized entirely. Nitriding and carbonitriding surface engineering techniqueshave been used in the fasteners which has entirely improved their chemical properties, and tensile strength, his has managed to improve its holding and force resistance of the trucks by holding the rails compact together with the sleepers and the rail pads. Therefore, their corrosion resistance properties have been improved definitely as well as their tensile strength, hence its abilities to hold the rails down to the sleepers and the rail pads. Organic coatings (polymeric or elastomeric coating) techniques havebeen applied in the case of rail pads which have all the properties and qualities of holding and acting like shock absorbers for the rails to the sleepers, and then absorb any necessary disturbances, forces and vibrations which may be transmitted or created by the forces of frictions.
Limitations of these techniquesboth of these techniques have the necessarily advantages towards the components which they have been used. Organic coatings have been used in the process of developing softer and long lasting rail pads which are tensile to hold the base forces and act like shock absorbers but through time the organic components wear off and this has reduced their durability, and their change is expensive. This process of developing organic components is very expensive; therefore it’s costly but effective. The carburizing and carbonitriding surface engineering techniques are also entirely expensive to develop over time, but their ability to hold the chemical components of the materials has developed the necessarily qualities which have improved railway transport. The steel nature of the rails has enhanced toughness, and though it can wear off after sometimes it’s affordable rather than expensive.
The techniques used in the process of developing the necessary chemical fitness of the rails, fasteners and rail pads, have been achieved through the use of the above techniques. Hence rails’ toughness, strength and its potential to resist corrosion and wearing off have been achieved by means of the use of carbonitriding and carburizing surface engineering. The fastening system has been enhanced through the use of organic polymers and elastomeric coatings, which has improved the coating of rail pads, to improved development of their tensile stretch and shock absorption capabilities. Likewise, the fasteners due to their nutriding engineering, their corrosion and wearing off resistance has been enhanced hence their ability to balance the rails and holding them to the sleepers is much improved hence developing a smooth lined rails with a gliding effect implemented
The research paper done below through the study of Thermo Fusion and The theory and application of the HVOF thermal spray process,Dynamic properties of railway track and its components which has been used in the treatment of the railway line system which has been used in the process of highlighting the basic concepts of mechanical engineering.
Aims: the paper contains information in the regard of:
- Aims at creating the ultimate potential theory into the study of the railway;
- Highlighting the necessary and important aspects of surface engineering in the railway lines;
- Develop a thesis into the importance of the surface engineering technique and their limitations if used in one role or another;
- Project the important characteristics of surface engineered components and their importance towards their functionalities.
Therefore, the highlighted information from this research paper shows the necessary information which can be used in the transport sector in order to develop the necessary tools to be used in the engineering section of building a railway line. A well developed a designed information system should be well advanced in the section of its development and therefore it creates the implemented aspect of the rails, fastening system, ballast and their treatment to affiliate the necessary steps which can be used to achieve its integrity.