Integrated solutions for improving the performance characteristics of solid-rolled railway wheels

The fatigue limit of wheel steels of grades 2, T, and L (GOST 10791) was determined in order to improve the performance characteristics of solid rolled railway wheels. The test methodology is based on the requirements of GOST 25.502. According to the test results, the relationship between the strength and the fatigue limit of the investigated wheel steels is determined. The results are proposed to facilitate the optimization of the wheel thickness depending on the material strength. In order to improve the characteristics of wheel life, resistance to wear, and chip formation, the methodology of designing wheels with rolling surface profiles K‑70 and K‑65 based on the software package Universal Mechanism is presented, as well as the efficiency indicators of their implementation on the wheels of freight and passenger cars. In order to predict the total service life of the wheels, the calculation and experimental methodology developed by the St. Petersburg State University of Railway Transport of Emperor Alexander I, was tested in the conditions of the scientific and experimental base of JSC OMK (United Metallurgical Company, Moscow, Russia) to estimate the service life of wheels of grades 2, T and L for various purposes. Mechanical properties of promising steel grade B with bainite structure are presented. It is shown that they significantly exceed the quality indicators of standard wheel steels.