How do Rail Pads maintain railway operational safety?
Rail pads maintain operational safety by reducing vibrations and impact forces, which prevents wear and tear on both rails and sleepers, improves track stability, and protects the signaling system. They act as a protective buffer, absorbing energy and distributing stress from passing trains to prevent damage like rail and sleeper cracks. This leads to more reliable infrastructure, a quieter operating environment, and fewer accidents caused by track instability.
How rail pads enhance safety?
- Prevents track degradation: By cushioning the impact of trains, rail pads act as a shield between the steel rails and concrete or steel sleepers, preventing the metal from scraping against concrete. This stops surface scratches on the rails and prevents sleepers from cracking under pressure.
- Maintains track stability: They help distribute the high, concentrated stress from train wheels over a larger area of the sleeper. This prevents localized deformation and "track wobble," ensuring the track remains stable and steady during train passage.
- Protects the signaling system: Rail pads provide electrical insulation, which is crucial for the signaling and communication systems on the tracks. This prevents vibrations from interfering with the delicate electronic equipment, ensuring signals are transmitted correctly.
- Reduces noise pollution: The pads dampen vibrations, which in turn reduces the noise generated by train wheels and the track itself. This is especially important for public safety and relations in urban areas.
- Reduces maintenance: By prolonging the life of expensive track components like rails and sleepers, rail pads reduce the frequency of costly maintenance and replacement. This helps ensure the track remains in safe working order for longer periods.
Types of materials for rail pads
After years of experience in rail pad manufacturing, we have developed a range of high-performance elastic rail pads for stiffness requirements and various application areas-from trams through standard gauge railways to heavy haul lines, especially rail pads for E-clip rail fastening systems and SKL type rail fastening systems with material of HDPE/EVA/Rubber, with following properties respectively.
HDPE
| No. | Technical Parameter | Unit | Technical Requirement | Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Density | g/cm3 | 0.95-0.98 | 0.95 |
| 2 | Tensile Strength | Mpa | ≥19 | 19 |
| 3 | Elongation | % | >80 | 150 |
| 4 | Melting Point | °C | 170-190 | 190 |
| 5 | Insulation Resistance | Ω | ≥1×1010 | 3.5 ×1010 |
| 6 | Hardness | A | ≥98 | 98(A) |
EVA: Polyethylene 80%, Vinyl Acetate 20%
| No. | Technical Parameter | Unit | Technical Requirement | Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Density | g/cm3 | 0.95-0.98 | 0.95 |
| 2 | Tensile Strength | Mpa | ≥15 | 16 |
| 3 | Elongation | % | >500 | 550 |
| 4 | Melting Point°C | °C | 170-190 | 170 |
| 5 | Insulation Resistance | Ω | ≥1×1010 | 5.0 ×1010 |
| 6 | Hardness | A | ≥90 | 92(A) |
Rubber
| No. | Technical Parameter | Unit | Value |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Stiffness | KN | 90-130 |
| 2 | Hardness Shore A°C | °C | 72-80degree |
| 3 | Electronic Resistance | Ω | ≥ 106 |
| 4 | Tensile Strength before Aging | Mpa | ≥12.5 |
| 5 | Elongation before Aging | % | ≥250 |
GNEE RAIL offers different kinds of railway fasteners to meet client's requirements, such as Elastic Rail Clip and Clamp, Rail Screw Spike, Plastic Dowel, High Tensile Track Bolt with Nut, Rail Base(Tie) Plate, Rail Fish Plate, Railway Shoulder(Insert), Fish Bolt, Railroad Rubber and EVA Pad, etc. Samples and drawings provided by customer, we will manufacture qualified products accordingly.
