What Are the Raw Materials for rail elastic clip?
The selection of raw materials for rail elastic clips is fundamental to their performance, with the core material being high-quality spring steel specially formulated through precise chemical composition design. This type of steel is not ordinary iron or steel but an alloy steel engineered to achieve a high elastic limit and fatigue resistance.
| E-type Clips | |||
| Model | Diameter | Material | Hardness |
| E1809 | ø20 | 60Si2MnA | 44-48 |
| E1813 | ø18 | 60Si2MnA | 44-48 |
| E2001 | ø20 | 60Si2MnA | 44-48 |
| E2039 | ø20 | 60Si2MnA | 60Si2MnA |
| E2055 | ø20 | 60Si2MnA | 60Si2MnA |
| SKL Tension clips | |||
| Model | Diameter | Material | Hardness |
| SKL1 | ø13 | 60Si3CrA | 42-47 |
| SKL3 | ø13 | 60Si3CrA | 42-47 |
| SKL12 | ø13 | 38Si7 | 42-47 |
| SKL14 | ø14 | 60Si2MnA | 42-47 |
| Other Rail Clips | |||||
| Model | Russia rail clip | Deenik clip | Anti-vandal clip | Fast clip GL1419 | GL1419 |
| Diameter | ø18 | ø25 | ø18 | ø15 | ø14 |
The most commonly used spring steel grades include 60Si2MnA, 55CrMo, among others, where the letters and numbers represent key alloying elements and their content. For instance, 60Si2MnA indicates a carbon content of approximately 0.60%, along with about 2% silicon and 1% manganese. The addition of these elements significantly enhances the steel's elastic limit, toughness, and hardenability.
| Material | 60Si2MnA | 60Si2CrA | 55Si2Mn | 38Si7 |
| Chemical composition(%) | C:0.56-0.64, Mn:0.60-0.90, Si:1.60-2.00, Cr:≤0.35, P:≤0.03, S:≤0.03 | C:0.56-0.64, Mn:0.40-0.70, Si:1.40-1.80,Cr:0.70-1.00 P:≤0.03, S:≤0.03 | C:0.52-0.60, Mn:0.60-0.90, Si:1.50-2.00,Cr:≤0.35 P:≤0.03, S:≤0.03 | C:0.35-0.42, Mn:0.50-0.80, Si:1.50-1.80, P:≤0.03, S:≤0.03 |
Each of these alloying elements plays an indispensable role. Carbon is the fundamental element ensuring the steel's strength and hardness; Silicon primarily increases the elastic limit and yield ratio; Manganese not only improves strength but also enhances hardenability; and Chromium increases temper resistance, wear resistance, and corrosion resistance. Through scientific proportioning and combination, these elements enable the final material to withstand millions of repeated bending deformations without fracturing, while maintaining sufficient toughness. Beyond the main alloying elements, the content of harmful elements like phosphorus and sulfur in the raw material is strictly limited, as these impurities reduce the steel's plasticity and toughness, severely impacting the clip's fatigue life.
Building upon high-quality steel, the production process also requires auxiliary raw materials for anti-corrosion treatment. For applications demanding extremely high corrosion resistance, hot-dip galvanizing is a common surface treatment method, requiring high-purity zinc ingots as raw material. The zinc layer forms a dense protective film on the steel surface, effectively isolating it from moisture and corrosive media, substantially extending the clip's service life in harsh environments like damp or saline-alkali conditions.
GNEE RAIL strictly controls the source of raw materials; all spring steel is sourced from reputable large steel mills and supplemented with advanced heat treatment and surface treatment processes. This ensures the final product's mechanical properties and anti-corrosion performance fully comply with international standards and meet customers' stringent requirements.
