What material is commonly used to make elastic rail clips?
Rail clip is a component of railway fastening systems. It is used to fix the railroad track to the underlying baseplate and sleepers. The clamping force by rail clips helps to maintain the gauge and prevent the rail from moving in the vertical and horizontal direction relative to the sleeper. One extensively used type of rail clip is an elastic rail clip made of hot-pressed spring steel. Its energy produced at elastic deformation can alleviate the vibration and shock when trains move. Other track materials such as rail joints, gauge rods, rail clamps, and rail pads are also available.
The manufacturing of elastic rail clips commonly employs high-performance spring steel, a category of materials capable of meeting the stringent demands for high strength, high elasticity, and fatigue resistance. The most typical material is 60Si2MnA, a silicon-manganese alloy spring steel. Its chemical composition is precisely balanced: carbon provides base strength, silicon significantly raises the elastic limit, and manganese improves hardenability, enabling the material to achieve a uniform microstructure and stable mechanical properties after heat treatment.
| 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 |
This material undergoes a quenching and medium-temperature tempering process, resulting in a tempered troostite microstructure. This achieves the optimal hardness range of 44-48 HRC while retaining sufficient toughness. This combination ensures the clip maintains its clamping force over millions of load cycles, resisting plastic deformation and fatigue fracture. Other commonly used materials include 60Si2CrA (with chromium added to enhance hardenability and strength) and 55Si2Mn, catering to different standards or specific environmental requirements.
Major Rail Clip Types
| Model | Diameter | Weight |
| Type III | Ø18 | 0.80kg/pc |
| E1609 | Ø16 | 0.43 kg/pc |
| E1809 | Ø20 | 0.61kg/pc |
| E1813 | Ø18 | 0.62kg/pc |
| E2001 | Ø20 | 0.80kg/pc |
| E2007 | Ø20 | 0.80kg/pc |
| E2009 | Ø20 | 0.80kg/pc |
| E2039 | Ø20 | 0.80kg/pc |
| E2055 | Ø20 | 0.80kg/pc |
| E2056 | Ø20 | 0.80kg/pc |
| E2063 | Ø20 | 0.80kg/pc |
| PR85 Rail Clip | Ø13 | 0.25kg/pc |
| PR309A | Ø19 | 0.85kg/pc |
| PR401 | Ø20 | 0.97kg/pc |
| PR415 | Ø20 | 0.95kg/pc |
| PR601A | Ø20 | 1.03kg/pc |
| SKL 1 | Ø13 | 0.48kg/pc |
| SKL 3 | Ø13 | 0.48kg/pc |
| SKL 12 | Ø13 | 0.53kg/pc |
| SKL 14 | Ø13 | 0.53kg/pc |
| Special Rail Clip | Ø13 | 0.48kg/pc |
| Russia Rail Clip | Ø18 | 0.58kg/pc |
| Deenik Clip | Ø25 | 0.49-0.68kg/pc |
| Single Anti- | Ø20 | 0.25kg/pc |
| Theft |
GNEE RAIL strictly selects premium spring steel that complies with international standards for producing elastic rail clips and ensures performance consistency through precise heat treatment processes. We can provide suitable material solutions and full material reports based on customer technical requirements.
