3/13/2007 UIC 60kg Rail to AIS 60kg RAil 1
RAILTECH PLK PROCESSUIC 60kg Rail to AIS 60kg Rail
3/13/2007 UIC 60kg Rail to AIS 60kg RAil 2
RAILTECH PLK PROCESS
UIC 60kg Rail to AIS 60kg
Welding of UIC 60kg Rail to AIS 60kg Rail was undertaken by RailtechAustralia Ltd at Brisbane on 14/12/2006.As an ATRC representative I observed and documented the welding andtesting process for QA. The process was the standard 60kg PLK methodthat we have been using for some time within the network. The qualitythat has been achieved with this process has proven to be reliable andconsistent, making for long term placement of finished product.Outlined in the following slides and notes are my observations andcomments of joining different profile UIC 60kg to AIS 60kg Rail to astandard that will be acceptable to ARTC.
3/13/2007 UIC 60kg Rail to AIS 60kg RAil 3
Sample 3
Set up to weld prior to packing andpreheatProfile is of gauge face
Note under head radius has gap due tomismatch of rails. Rub in of mouldswere not finished in this shot.
3/13/2007 UIC 60kg Rail to AIS 60kg RAil 4
RAILTECH PLK PROCESS
Sample 3Moulds rubbed prior topacking.
Note gap at under head radius is lessthan first slide.
3/13/2007 UIC 60kg Rail to AIS 60kg RAil 5
RAILTECH PLK PROCESS
Sample 3Field side of weld
Note rather large gap under headradius and web. ( Prior to finishedrubbing of moulds )
3/13/2007 UIC 60kg Rail to AIS 60kg RAil 6
RAILTECH PLK PROCESS
Sample 3Field side.
Finished moulds rubbed prior topacking.Note gaps are now smaller on finishedmouldsCare needs to be taken when rubbingin moulds to ensure foot and web haveminimal gap before welding continues.Mismatch in rail of 4mm will occur in
setup as running face has to be flushto allow for correct tolerance
3/13/2007 UIC 60kg Rail to AIS 60kg RAil 7
RAILTECH PLK PROCESS
Sample 3Fully rubbed in and assembled prior to
packing.
Packing has to be thorough and care tobe taken paste is not pushed into weldfill area due to gaps occurring atjoining surface. Moulds tend to berather hard and will need to be filed tomake it easier to rub in to areasonable finish to ensure run outsare kept to a minimum.
3/13/2007 UIC 60kg Rail to AIS 60kg RAil 8
RAILTECH PLK PROCESS
These next slides are sample 2Weld has already been alignedcorrectly.
I will point out all the necessary stepsto ensure quality when performing thewelding process.Note base plate can only go one waydue to mismatch in foot when liningup.This shows fixed end of base plate onfield side of weld.
Note base plate is not aligned properlyaround this way
3/13/2007 UIC 60kg Rail to AIS 60kg RAil 9
RAILTECH PLK PROCESS
Sample 2Weld has been aligned correctly.Running face is flush to straight edge,mismatch occurs mainly on field side.Base plate has been moved to thecorrect side. Fixed end to running faceside.This is now ready for base plate to beput in and rubbed to ensure no rockingexists when held against weld base.
3/13/2007 UIC 60kg Rail to AIS 60kg RAil 10
RAILTECH PLK PROCESS
Sample 2Weld has been set up to ARTC standardReady for moulds to be rubbed in.Next slides will show variation in weldfaces prior to assembly.
Showing alignment at foot
Top slide shows 3mm on field side
Bottom slide shows 1mm on runningface side.
3/13/2007 UIC 60kg Rail to AIS 60kg RAil 11
RAILTECH PLK PROCESS
Sample 2Top slide shows minimal mismatch onfield side at web.
Bottom slide shows mismatch of about1mm on running face side of web.
Due to weld fill penetration of 25- 45mm this is no problem.
3/13/2007 UIC 60kg Rail to AIS 60kg RAil 12
RAILTECH PLK PROCESS
Sample 2Shows alignment at head of weldTop slide is of field side shows 4mmAt straight edge.
Bottom slide is running face sideshown flushWeld is now ready for rubbing in ofmoulds and packing.
Note mismatch in rail on all surfaces,This is why it is critical to rub inmoulds so well to ensure weld does notrun out
3/13/2007 UIC 60kg Rail to AIS 60kg RAil 13
RAILTECH PLK PROCESS
Sample 2
Base plate set up and rubbed in, pasteapplied. Ready for moulds to go on
Note this is the correct position for thebase plate to be in. ( central to theweld gap)
3/13/2007 UIC 60kg Rail to AIS 60kg RAil 14
RAILTECH PLK PROCESS
Sample 2
Moulds being rubbed in to minimizegaps around rails
Moulds should sit square to the rail andnot be offset to the centre of the weld
3/13/2007 UIC 60kg Rail to AIS 60kg RAil 15
RAILTECH PLK PROCESS
Sample 2
Moulds rubbed into rail correctly
Note minimal gap around mould to railFoot contour of UIC rail has beencarefully filed and rubbed to ensuregood fitment.By taking time to rub in mouldsproperly we will achieve a qualityfinish.This is how welds need to look beforepacking takes place.
3/13/2007 UIC 60kg Rail to AIS 60kg RAil 16
RAILTECH PLK PROCESS
Sample 2
Moulds ready for packing with paste.
Note minimal gap when done up withclamp.When packing care must be taken withpaste to ensure it does not penetrateweld fill area and contaminate weld.Flashing will be minimal if this processis undertaken as outlined.
3/13/2007 UIC 60kg Rail to AIS 60kg RAil 17
RAILTECH PLK PROCESS
Sample 2
Weld packed and pre heating is underway.Process is PLK 60kg one shotPre heat 4 minsOxy 300psi at bottleLP 40psi at torchStrip down 5 mins
3/13/2007 UIC 60kg Rail to AIS 60kg RAil 18
RAILTECH PLK PROCESS
Sample 2
Pouring of weld after preheat.
3/13/2007 UIC 60kg Rail to AIS 60kg RAil 19
RAILTECH PLK PROCESS
Sample 2After 1 hour cool down welds whereground to tolerance.
Top slide is of field sideBottom slide is of running face side.
Welds where only ground using a 9inchgrinder. A profile grinder in track willachieve a better finish, and allow fieldside to be run out with not muchproblem.Welds meet ARTC alignmentstandards.
3/13/2007 UIC 60kg Rail to AIS 60kg RAil 20
RAILTECH PLK PROCESS
Sample 2Weld in its finished state.Left side of rail is running face.Right side is field side of weld.As you can see quality with finish isachievable if time is taken withprocess. ( Variation in mismatch onfield side can be ground to a finish toallow a smooth transition in rail face.)
Note welds will take a lot longer to setup and do than the normal 20mins.
See notes below.
3/13/2007 UIC 60kg Rail to AIS 60kg RAil 21
NotesUIC60kg Rail to AIS 60 kg RailThree test welds were done on the day .All the welds were ultrasonically tested by myself and allpassed with a high finish quality.They were then subjected to Load break test, Brinell Hardness test, Deflection And Chemicalanalysis.All test welds feel well within the allowable parameters of these tests.The PLK process has been successful and proven in the past throughout the network, I see no reasonto not to use it for the welding of these new turnouts made up of UIC 60kg rail.Note that due to wider foot profile they will not fit into our fastening system with out redesignedinsulators as there is a 4mm variation.1
Note when cutting of the welds the shear jaw on our Std 60kg is 78mm wide, to allow for thedifferent width in the head we will need to look at 82mm.
_______________________1 Sleepers already have the extra 4mm width between the shoulders. Already designed for UIC foot. Made by Austrak under sub-contract for Cogifer.