The Axle Box Cover for Protecting Axle Bearings

Overview of The Axle Box Cover

The axle box cover is an important component for protecting the axle bearings, preventing dust, moisture and other substances from entering while also withstanding vibration and shock. In the core components of rail transit equipment, the axle box cover is a “shepherd” in the power transmission system; the material and performance directly affect the security and economy of the train operation. This seemingly ordinary protective device is actually a precise component that integrates materials science, mechanical engineering and operational mechanics. Its technological evolution has witnessed the upgrading process of the rail transit equipment manufacturing industry.

The Material Evolution of The Axle Box Cover

With the increase in train speed, the application of cast steel material has raised the tensile strength to over 450MPa, significantly improving the fatigue resistance. Entering the 21st century, the introduction of aluminum alloy materials has brought revolutionary changes. After a certain type of EMU adopted A356-T6 cast aluminum alloy; the single-piece mass decreased by 58% while maintaining a yield strength of 350MPa.

The Core Functions of The Axle Box Cover

(1)The protection device: the core functions of the dynamic sealing system adopt a three-layer composite seal structure; the outer silicone rubber weather resistance layer can withstand – 50 ℃ to 200 ℃ temperature changes, fluorine rubber provides chemical protection layer, the middle lining PTFE reduces the friction coefficient. Tested in accordance with the EN 13649 standard, this structure can achieve a particle barrier efficiency of 99.97%.

(2)Mechanical bearing network: through the topology optimization design, inside the cover body building bionic honeycomb structure, make the compressive strength of 25 kn/m squared level.The measured data of a certain type of urban rail vehicle shows that after 300,000 kilometers of operation, the structural deformation of the optimized box cover is controlled within 0.12mm.

(3)Environmental protection against barriers: using micro-arc oxidation surface treatment technology in the aluminum alloy substrate surface to generate 50 microns ceramic layer, salt fog test corrosion time of 3000 hours. Combined with the self-developed nano-composite coating, the surface hardness reaches HV450, and the wear resistance is enhanced three times.

The Test Verification of The Axle Box Cover

The performance verification of rigid standard industry-leading enterprise has set up a complete test system, including 80 hours of continuous vibration test (plus or minus 2 mm, amplitude-frequency 5-200 Hz), and 40 ℃ low-temperature impact test, 120 ℃ heat aging test, and other 18 special detections. The new type of composite material box cover passed the tensile test of ASTM E8 standard, and the elongation at break was stable within the range of 8%-10%, fully meeting the operation requirements of high-speed trains.

The Breakthrough of Technology Innovation of The Axle Box Cover

Direction of the current research focus in intellisense material application, such as embedded optical fiber sensors in the monitoring lid, can collect real-time temperature and strain data. The carbon fiber reinforced composite material box cover equipped on a certain test vehicle model is isotropically reinforced through 3D weaving technology. Its weight is further reduced by 22% compared with aluminum alloy, and the thermal conductivity is optimized by 40%. More advanced metal-based ceramic composites (MMC) have made breakthroughs at the laboratory stage, and their coefficients of thermal expansion can precisely match those of bearing steel materials. From the age iron age to the intelligent material of axle box protection system upgrade trajectory reflects the innovation and development of the rail transportation equipment manufacturing industry. With the in-depth application of technologies such as materials genome engineering and additive manufacturing, future protective devices will continue to evolve towards functional integration, status visualization, and maintenance predictability, building a more solid guarantee foundation for the safe operation of rail transit. During this process, materials scientists and engineers are still constantly breaking through physical limits and writing a new chapter in the development of rail transit with innovative materials.

mainstream material	cast steel/cast aluminium alloy
the level of mechanical indicators	strength of extension	≥450MPa
	compressive strength	25kN/m²
Environmental dimension considerations	Particle barrier efficiency	99.97%（test in EN 13649 standard）
	adaptive temperature	from -50℃ to 200℃

Package of The Axle Box Cover

Polybag+Carton box+Wooden case/Pallet, according to customer’s request

Company Profile

Luoyang Fenyo Heavy Industries Co., Ltd. was founded in 1998, covers an area of 72,600㎡, with more than 300 employees, 32 technicians, including 5 senior engineers, 11 assistant engineers, and 16 technicians. It has been rated as Luoyang Engineering Technology Center, Luoyang Technology R&D Center, and National High-tech Enterprise for many times.
Our production capacity is 30,000 tons per year. Currently, we mainly produce cast steel, cast iron (gray iron, ductile iron, etc.), processing of finished product and component assembly.the products have been exported to Russia, the United States, Germany, Argentina, Japan, France, South Africa,Italy and other countries.

FAQS

Q1: Are you a manufacturer or trading company?
A:Yes,our company was founded in 1998, with nearly 30 years in casting industry, a total area of 72,600㎡, with a factory building area of 51,000㎡.
Q2. What are your main products?
A: We primarily focus on steel casting, iron casting, finished product machining, and component assembly production.
Q3: How precision can you produce casting parts?
A: We have the capability of producing casting parts with different casting processes. The production is strictly comply with ISO 9001, ISO 14001 and ISO45001,EN15085, IRIS.
Q4. Can you produce according to the samples?
 Yes, we can produce by your samples or technical drawings. We can build drawings for you after we get your samples too.
Q5: How do you do Quality Control before delivery?
A: Quality inspection is a very important factor to guarantee the quality of steel casting parts. We follow 3 times of inspection during the whole production process. And we will provide material testing report, dimensional testing report, and mechanical properties testing report to our clients before delivery.

It you are interested in any products,please feel free to contact us.
Contact:Cathy Xu
Email:sales@railwaypart.com
Mobile:008615515321683