What Are E-Shape Elastic Rail Clips
E-shape elastic rail clips are used with concrete sleepers to fasten rails on both sides of the track. The clip is formed in the shape of the letter E and works elastically, pressing the rail foot against the base plate with a constant force. Because the clip bends and recovers within its elastic range, it absorbs the dynamic loads of passing trains and keeps the rail securely positioned under both lateral and longitudinal forces.
Why Hot Forged Spring Steel
Rail clips are usually made of forged spring steel manufactured by a hot forging process, either in open dies or closed dies. The product takes shape when the heated metal is formed at forging temperature, and the forged parts are considered better than parts made by other metal forming processes because of their most uniform microstructure. Uniform grain flow gives the clip consistent hardness, toughness and fatigue behavior around the bends where stresses concentrate.
E-Series Clip Specifications
The E-series covers E1609, E1809, E1813, E2001, E2007, E2009, E2039, E2055, E2056 and E2063 models, all produced from 60Si2MnA spring steel. Every model is rated at a minimum clamping load of 950 kg with a hardness of 44 to 48 HRC. The 16 mm clip weighs 0.43 kg, the 18 mm clips weigh 0.61 to 0.62 kg and the 20 mm series weighs 0.80 kg per piece. Clips can also be produced to customer drawings.
Spring Steel Grades and Composition
In addition to 60Si2MnA, the grades 60Si2CrA, 55Si2Mn and 38Si7 are available. The composition of 60Si2MnA is carbon 0.56 to 0.64 percent, manganese 0.60 to 0.90 percent, silicon 1.60 to 2.00 percent and chromium up to 0.35 percent. The 60Si2CrA grade adds chromium of 0.70 to 1.00 percent, and the 38Si7 grade carries carbon 0.35 to 0.42 percent with silicon 1.50 to 1.80 percent. Phosphorus and sulfur are limited to 0.03 percent in all grades, and the steel follows DIN 17221, BS 970 and GB/T 1222.
Fatigue Life and Surface Protection
The fatigue life of the clips depends on the wire diameter: 18 mm clips withstand 3 million cycles without breaking, and 20 mm clips withstand 5 million cycles without breaking. Surface options include plain oiled, oxide black, color painting, hot dip galvanizing and zinc plating. Clips can be pre-assembled with T-bolts and washers as a supplementary service, and they are packed for time saving and transit safe handling.
Quality Control and Common Misconceptions
A complete quality control system covers the production of rail clips from raw material purchase to the finished application. A professional inspection team checks each process of the production line and verifies output at regular intervals, so that dimensional accuracy, hardness and surface condition are confirmed before dispatch. This discipline supports large volume supply for both export and domestic railway projects.
A common misconception is that the forging process is unnecessary because a stamped clip looks the same. Forging produces the uniform microstructure that gives the clip its fatigue performance, so the process is part of the specification, not a detail. Another error is assuming that all clips of one model share the same quality; the steel source, heat treatment and inspection records must be verified. It is also wrong to install clips without checking the seating against the base plate and rail foot.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is an E-shape elastic rail clip used for? It fastens rails on both sides of concrete sleepers with constant elastic pressure and keeps the rail securely positioned.
Why is hot forging preferred for rail clips? Hot forging produces the most uniform microstructure, which gives consistent hardness, toughness and fatigue behavior around the bends.
Which materials are used for E-shape clips? The standard material is 60Si2MnA spring steel, with 60Si2CrA, 55Si2Mn and 38Si7 also available.
What is the fatigue life of these clips? Clips with 18 mm wire withstand 3 million cycles and clips with 20 mm wire withstand 5 million cycles without breaking.
What surface finishes are available? Plain oiled, oxide black, color painting, hot dip galvanizing and zinc plating are available.
Can clips be supplied pre-assembled? Yes, pre-assembly with T-bolts and washers is offered as a supplementary service, together with corrosion protection and transit safe packing.
