Premium grade turnouts made of Manganese steel
Railroad turnouts are essential for a functioning rail network. They steer trains safely in the right direction and guarantee smooth operation. Their longevity not only reduces maintenance costs, but is also a central component of the sustainable transport transition.
For this application, voestalpine Railway Systems relies on hard manganese steel (Mn13), also known as Hadfield steel. These turnouts are used worldwide on heavy-duty lines and on lines with high train frequencies because this material can withstand the highest loads longer than other types of steel.
Around a third of the 13 000 turnouts in the ÖBB rail network are equipped with frogs made of this steel.
A new steel grade “Made in Styria”
In order to further increase the service life of turnouts, an innovative material concept based on manganese steel was developed at the MCL together with voestalpine Railway Systems GmbH. The new material shows improved resistance to the extreme loads caused by train traffic. Tests in the laboratory and comprehensive analyses at the atomic level have shown that this alloy is better able to withstand the high mechanical requirements and extends the service life of the turnouts.
A novel non-destructive testing method
Parallel to the development of the new material, Montanuniversität Leoben, together with MCL, ÖBB-Infrastruktur AG and voestalpine Railway Systems GmbH, have developed a non-destructive testing method. Until now, it has been difficult to automatically measure surface defects in hard manganese steel turnouts, as this material “resists” the standard inspection method, i.e. the ultrasonic inspection due to its pronounced damping properties. Until now, the evaluation was therefore carried out by experienced personnel with the naked eye.
The new method has shown that cracks in manganese steel turnout frogs can be detected automatically and precisely. Within 20 minutes, a mobile demonstrator can determine the depth and position of defects on a switch frog with quality assurance. This information enables targeted and more efficient maintenance planning.
Impact and effects
Until now, the discovery of surface damage during inspections often led to drastic speed restrictions until the defect was repaired. This meant delays and high costs. With the new inspection method, the infrastructure operator can detect and assess defects that are not visible to the naked eye at an earlier stage. This enables to carry out low-cost repairs before they develop into more extensive surface damage.
The combination of innovative materials and new testing methods marks a milestone in turnout construction. It facilitates maintenance and repair, reduces costs and strengthens green mobility. With these advances, railroad operators and Austrian manufacturers of railroad components are positioning themselves as key components of a climate-friendly transportation system.
Project coordination (Story)
Dr. Jürgen Maierhofer
Group Leader Computational Product Reliability
Materials Center Leoben Forschung GmbH
Juergen.Maierhofer(at)mcl.at
IC-MPPE / COMET-Zentrum
Materials Center Leoben Forschung GmbH
Vordernberger Straße 12
8700 Leoben
mclburo(at)mcl.at
www.mcl.at
Project partners
• Materials Center Leoben Forschung GmbH, Austria
• voestalpine Railway Systems GmbH, Austria
• ÖBB-Infrastruktur AG, Austria
• Montanuniversität Leoben, Institut für Automation und Messtechnik, Austria
• Montanuniversität Leoben, Lehrstuhl für Eisen- und Stahlmetallurgie, Austria
• Erich Schmid Institut für Materialwissenschaften der österr. Akademie der Wissenschaften, Austria