What is the purpose of a railroad pad?
Rail pads, originally called "sole" plates or pads, are used when rail is attached to concrete, rather than timber, ties or sleepers.
The starting stiffness of a rail pad is designed to not be high so that their relative deformation under the spring clip toe loads is greatly substantial. In this way, it can guarantees the rail pad maintaining in close contact with the rail despite of any vertical movements of the latter. In addition, the reason why rail pads made up of rubber or plastic is to dampen the shocks of vibration of a passing train.
A railroad pad's purpose is to cushion the rail, protecting sleepers (ties) from impact and wear, distributing wheel loads over a larger area, reducing vibration and noise, and providing electrical insulation, all while maintaining track stability and extending the life of the track components. Essentially, it's a crucial, elastic component placed between the rail and the sleeper to absorb shock, improve comfort, and cut down on maintenance costs by making the entire track system more resilient and durable.
How Rail Elastic Pad Works:
Made from elastic materials like polyurethane, the pad is designed with specific stiffness (load-deflection) characteristics, allowing it to deform slightly under initial fastening pressure (keeping it in place) but firm up to absorb significant impact, ensuring it stays in contact with the rail and provides consistent cushioning.
| Raw Material | Rubber, EVA, TPEE, HDPE |
| Standard | UIC, AREMA, TB/T2626-95 |
| Application | 43kg/m, 50kg/m, 60kg/m, 75kg/m,115RE, UIC54, UIC60, S49 |
| Model number | 43-7-7, 43-10-7, 50-7-9, 50-10-9, 60-10-17, 60-12-17 |
| Operating temperature | -50~70 degrees |
| Certificate | MSDS, ROHS, REACH |
| Notes | They should be stored in a clean, ventilated place. Don't be in direct sunlight, and keep away from the heat source and chemical reagent. Don't touch the oil, organic solvent, and other chemicals. Banned exposure. |
Manufacturing Process of Railroad Pad
| • | Preparation of rubber compound |
| • | Mixing is carried out on a two-roll mill or in an internal mixer. In the case of an internal mixer, it can be done in a single-stage or double-stage mixing where the masterbatch, which was earlier prepared in the internal mixer, is finalized by adding curatives on a two roll mill. |
| • | Shaping and curing |
| • | Compression or Injection moulding |
| • | Trimming of finished products |
| • | Ready for use |
GNEE RAIL operates over 130 complete production lines covering mixing, vulcanization, molding, and testing, with an annual capacity of up to 3 million pieces, enabling efficient handling of large-volume orders. It is also equipped with a dedicated R&D team and large-scale internal testing platforms. Adhering to standards such as ISO 9001, every product undergoes rigorous testing and can also be subject to third-party inspections, ensuring reliable quality.
