Rail Grinding Machine
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Introduction to Rail Grinding
Rail grinding is an essential rail maintenance technology
which has been widely used on the railway. Due to rail
wheel interaction, surface damages on rails takes place.
These damages such as fatigue cracks , corrugation , and
spalling, can be effectively removed, and the rail profile can
be re-profiled after rail grinding.
Due to this, the service life of rail is extended, and the good
contact relation between rail and wheel is maintained. Figure 1: Rail Grinding
Therefore, rail grinding not only ensures the stability and
safety of trains but also increases the economic benefits of
railway transportation.
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Introduction to Rail Grinding Machine
Mostly the rail grinding operations are completed by
the rail grinding machine, which are equipped with a
number of grinding stones at certain swing angles.
Rail grinding is the process of rail material removal
using these grinding stones.
Figure 2: Rail Grinding Machine
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Types of Rail Grinding Machine
Rail Grinding Machine
Transit Rail Grinding Speciality Rail Grinding Production Rail
Machine Machine Grinding Machine
Example: LRG Example: IR 20 Example: RGI 96
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Light Rail Grinding Machine (LRG)
The smaller size of an LRG allows the grinder to
navigate a variety of transit (Metro) and freight
railroads, including those with tight clearance and
weight restrictions (tunnels, bridges, level crossing).
The LRG can do everything the bigger grinders can
do, but it is in limited workload capacity.
They are versatile and having powerful grind motors
as same as mainline grinders.
Figure 3: Light Rail Grinding
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Specialty Rail Grinding Machine (SRGM)
SRGMs are larger than LRG and smaller than
Production grinders. It differs from mainline
production grinders in terms of in how many grinding
heads (modules) they have, and the flexibility of
those modules. The modules in these machines
have lift, tilt and shift motion.
These machine supplements production grinders to
grinding the switches, turnouts and level crossings
which are left by the production grinders on larger
railway tracks.
Figure 4: SRGM with grinding modules
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Production Rail Grinding Machine
Production rail grinders utilize powerful, highly efficient
technology and equipment's to provide fastest, safest
and the most productive rail grinding .
These grinders have more modules than the other
grinders with less flexibility (Lift and Tilt) of those
modules. This is the reason they are used for grinding
on Tangent (Straight) track and curves.
RGI-96 is an example of production type rail grinder. Figure 5: Production Rail Grinding Machine
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Machine Description RGI-96
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Introduction
The RGI-96 grinding machine have 8 car configurations. It has one control car, four grind cars, one
water car and two camp coaches. Camp Car 2 is equipped with a travel control console. This machine
is capable of grinding in both the directions.
The four grind cars are nearly identical, and each has two 12-stone non-flex buggies. Hence the total
number of grind stones are 96 which is powered by 30hp electrical grind motors for each module . The
grind modules in the buggies can be used to grind straight or curved track.
Control Car Grind Car 1 Grind Car 2 Grind Car 3 Grind Car 4 Water Car Camp Car 1 Camp Car 2
Figure 6: RGI-96 Configuration
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Machine Layout
Figure 7: Layout of RGI-96
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The Control Car
• The Control Car or Front Control
Car (FCC) contains; operator
controls, electrical room, traction
bogies, water storage, rail
inspection system.
• It is located at the front of the
control car and houses the control
consoles, which the operator uses
Figure 8: Control Car Side View
to control and operate the machine.
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The Control Car…
• A Human Machine Interface (HMI) controls water
spray, travel and grind controls of the entire machine.
• Controls of rail profile measurement system and
sequence camera are done by separate computer
systems .
• The control car has two drive bogies that provide the
tractive power to move the machine. The traction
motors are air cooled. Each traction motor has its
own blower and filter that provide filtered cooling air
to the traction motor.
Figure 9: Control Car Front View
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The Grind Car
• The rail grinding components are located on
the Grind Car (GC). Each grind car has two
buggies and each buggy has 12 modules,
six on each side. A hydraulic system
supplies fluid power to the grind buggies
and grind modules for its operation.
• A dust collection system helps to collect the
grind dust produced during grinding. A
Figure 10: Grind Car Side View
blower powered by 50 hp electric motor,
operate the dust collection system.
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The Grind Car…
• The grind car also contains a Genset powered by
Cummins QST-30 diesel engine, work room, auxiliary and
main fuel tanks.
• Water spray assemblies (tie and ditch sprays) are located
only in GC1 and GC4. To spray water before and after
grinding to prevent fire hazards on the ties or sleepers
and vegetations on side of the rails.
Figure 11: Grind Car Front View
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The Water Car
• The Water Car (WC) provides most of the
water storage for this machine. The Water Car
is connected to the last Grind Car. The Water
Car contains a water tank, and water pump.
• The water tank can be filled with a maximum
of 54,000 L (14,350 gal.) of water. The overall
capacity of the tank is 70,400 L (18,600 gal.).
Due to axle weight restrictions, the tank Figure 12: Water Car Side View
cannot be filled to the maximum capacity.
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The Water Car…
• A water pump and strainer are connected to the
water tank. The water pump pressurizes the water
and sends the water to the tie sprays, ditch
sprays, and water cannons.
• There is no walkway on the Water Car. The Water
Car cannot be used as a way for personnel to go
between the last Grind Car and the Camp Car. All
personnel must exit from grind car and walk past Figure 13: Water Car Top View
the Water Car to get to the camp car.
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The Camp Car
• There are two camp cars, referred to as Camp Car1 and Camp Car2. The camp cars contain
kitchens, dining rooms, RO, lavatories, fridge, washing machine, television, AC, storage, and
potable water tanks. It is equipped with all modern machines to provide comfort to the crew
members during their shift off.
• Camp car 1 has a separate 50 KVA genset to power camp coaches during non operational hours.
Figure 14: Camp Car Side View
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The Camp Car…
• Camp Car2 has a control room that contains travel console for controlling the machine when
traveling with the camp car as the lead car. Camp Car 2 does not contain controls for grinding.
Figure 15: Camp Cars Top View
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Important Systems of RGI-96
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Introduction
The RGI-96 Machine can be categorized under the following important systems
1. Electrical System
2. Air System
3. Water System
4. Safety System
5. Rail Profile Measurement System
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Electrical System
• Four gensets supply 480V three-phase 60 Hz electrical power to the
machine through common bus bar. The equipment that draws a majority of
the power from the gensets includes:
1- Traction system 2- Grind motors
3- Dust blowers 4- Hydraulic pumps
5- Air compressors 6- Water system
• Each genset is equipped with controllers that provide frequency and voltage
regulation along with a display for monitoring engine operating parameters.
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Air System
• Two air compressors (screw type, each powered by 50hp motor) on the
control car supply compressed air to the system through the main
reservoir piping, hoses, and tanks. The compressed air is used for air
horns, air brakes, dust collector purge systems, and tool air
connections.
• Two air brake systems on the machine are used to apply or release the
brakes. The automatic brake system is commonly used when the
machine is traveling and it applies the air brakes in incremental levels.
The independent brake system is often used while the machine is
grinding, and it applies the air brakes in a smooth, variable manner. The
Figure 16: Air Compressor
controls for both brake systems are located in FCC and CC2.
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Water System
• The water system supplies water for fire prevention
and firefighting. The water system consists of three
water tanks (Two in FCC and one is Water Car), two
water pumps, tie sprays, ditch sprays, and water
cannons. Most water system components are
controlled from the Water Screen on the HMI.
• The camp car has a separate water tank that is used
for cooking and drinking.
Figure 17: Ditch Spray and Tie Spray
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Safety Systems
• A UV sensor with heat detection cable and a flame detector are located above the engine areas to
detect fires. When the cable detects excessive heat or the flame detector sees a fire, a warning
message appears on the HMI.
• A train alert notifies all personnel with the help of siren and strobe light of an approaching train. A train
alert occurs when any of the Train Alert buttons are pressed.
• Machine Emergency Stop (E-Stop) button initiate a rapid shutdown process that brings the machine to
a zero energy state.
• A fire resistant hydraulic fluid (Water- Glycol based) is used to prevent fire hazards during grinding.
• To isolate the various energy sources LoTo provisions (Lock out- Tag Out) are made at all the required
points.
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Rail Profile Measurement System
• The RPMS is bogie mounted, and non-contact vision
sensor units record rail profile information. The system
also uses laser light sources to illuminate the rail head
and high resolution digital cameras to capture the rail
images.
• Rail profile systems can be monitored from the control
cab. It is located in FCC and Camp Car 1 to capture the
rail profile pre and post grinding.
• Laser cutoff buttons enable and disable the RPMS during
maintenance and cleaning. The cutoff button enclosures Figure 18: Rail Profile Measurement System
also indicate the power status of the system.
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References for further learning
1. https://www.vandhana.com/
2. https://loram.com/maintenance-of-way/rail-grinding/
3. https://ecr.indianrailways.gov.in/uploads/files/1357581689600-rgm_guidline_hand_book.pdf
4. https://rdso.indianrailways.gov.in/works/uploads/File/IRTMM%202019%20CHAPTER%205.pdf
5. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wTkM72jvTaM
6. Joseph Selvi Binoj et al., Influence of grinding on rail surface and profile- A review. Materials Today: Proceedings Elsevier. (
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.matpr.2022.12.216)
7. D. I. Fletcher et al., Wheel–Rail Interface Handbook(2009), Pages 280-310.
8. K. Zhou et al., Modelling and simulation of the grinding force in rail grinding that considers the swing angle of the grinding stone.
Tribology International 137 (2019), 274-288, Elsevier.
9. Venkatarami Reddy, Modelling and analysis of rail grinding and lubrication strategies for controlling rolling contact fatigue (RCF)
and rail wear. Thesis submitted to Queensland University of technology, May (2004).
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Thank You !
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