How are rail tie plates manufactured?
Rail tie plates are manufactured using three main methods: casting, forging, and rolling. In casting, molten metal is poured into a mold, while forging uses heat and pressure to shape the metal. Rolling involves passing heated steel through rollers to flatten and shape it, and is often used for standard, hot-rolled plates.
Casting
- Process: Molten steel, often carbon steel like QT400-18, is poured into a pre-made mold to form the tie plate shape.
- Advantages: This is a common and often cost-effective method.
- Application: Used for a variety of plates, with the ability to create precise dimensions.
Forging
- Process: A metal blank is heated and then shaped using high-pressure presses or hammers.
- Advantages: Capable of producing durable plates with high annual production capacity.
- Application: Often used for heavy-duty or high-demand applications.
Rolling
- Process: Steel is heated and then passed through a series of rollers to reduce its thickness and shape it. The resulting plates are then punched and sheared to size and shape, often with pre-drilled holes.
- Advantages: This method is used to produce a large volume of plates that can meet specific standards.
- Application: A rapidly developing method used for standard, hot-rolled tie plates.
Types of Railway Tie Plates from GNEE RAIL
1. Casting Railway Tie Plates
The tie plate can be either casting iron or casting steel, depending on the load and the type of rails. Cast iron can be the welded or fabricated type, depending on the customers' requirements.
- Name: casting rail tie plate
- Type: Applicable of rail UIC54, UIC60, 50kg rail, 60kg rail,S49 and size as ordered
- Material: QT500-7 or QT450-10 (low carbon steel or high carbon steel by forging, and low carbon steel S275JR, Q235,etc. by rolling.)
- Standard refers: UIC864-6
2. Single Shoulder Railway Tie Plates
For the tie plates of single shoulder, the shoulder is designed at the field end of the plate. The plate's short end or gauge end is placed inside of the rail track, and that why the rail base width is always required from clients. Single shoulder tie plates are usually used by rails weights running from 56lb though 100 lb.
3. Double Shoulder Railway Tie Plates
The double-shoulder type is currently used. Older single-shoulder types were adaptable for various rail widths, with the single shoulder positioned on the outside (field side) of the rails.
4. Hook Twin Tie Plates for Railroad
HTTP, whose full name is hook twin tie plate, is widely used for turnouts positioned behind the switch bottoms. In order to ensure the tie spacing, the HTTP is often used in pairs to a single tie.
Different available varieties:
- For 3/4'' hook twin tie plate: L23, L27, L31, LR23, LR27, LR31, H23, H27, H31.
- For 1'' hook twin tie plate: L29, L33, L37, LR28, LR32, LR36, H29, H33, H37, H41.
Among the market, the 3/4'' and 1'' thick varieties are mostly popular in North America. With a modern production line, our workshop is a modern and special one and we are capable of producing such products for 1000MTS annually.
Rail tie plates play an important role in securing the safety of railway and passengers. It has the function of supporting the rails and protecting the sleepers. GNEE RAIL can provide you with high quality and reliable rail tie plate and all of our products are inspected by a full set of inspection facilities in quality center. Both standard and customized rail base plates are available according to your drawing and sample.