Laser Cleaning Machine For Train Wheel Set Cleaning

 

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1. The Importance Of Cleaning Train Wheels

The wheel set is the part of the rolling stock that is in contact with the rails. It consists of two left and right wheels firmly pressed on the same axle. Train wheelsets play a vital role in maintaining the safety of train operations. Its main function is to ensure the normal operation and steering operation of the train on the track, while bearing all static and dynamic loads generated by the train, and effectively transmit these loads to the track. In addition, it transfers loads caused by track unevenness to various components of the train.

However, for high-speed trains, the wheels and axles are made of carbon steel without added alloying elements, which often leads to cracks and brittle fractures. If there is a problem with the wheel set, it may cause extremely serious and vicious safety accidents, such as train disconnection, derailment or overturning. These consequences are unimaginable. Therefore, it is crucial to carry out corresponding inspection and maintenance work after it has been running for a period of time to ensure that it can continue to maintain normal operation.

In wheel set maintenance operations, it is crucial to inspect the axles and wheels to determine whether there are cracks inside them. During the operation of the wheel set, except for the tread and rim that are in contact with the rails, the remaining parts are exposed to the air and are prone to varying degrees of corrosion. In addition, paint, coating, etc. on the axles and spokes may also affect the accuracy of flaw detection. Therefore, in order to ensure the accuracy of flaw detection results, the wheel set must be thoroughly cleaned before flaw detection. The paint and rust on the wheel set surface need to be removed to avoid these factors from interfering with the flaw detection results. Only after rigorous cleaning can accurate flaw detection results be obtained, thereby ensuring the quality and safety of the wheelset.

2. Conventional Methods And Shortcomings Of Cleaning Train Wheelsets

In the past, in order to remove paint and rust from the wheel set surface, methods such as mechanical grinding and chemical solvent cleaning were usually used.
Traditional cleaning methods have significant drawbacks.

For mechanical sanding, it involves using a high-speed rotating wire brush or abrasive disc to directly remove surface coating and rust. However, this approach exposes many shortcomings.

1. Base material damage: Mechanical grinding will cause physical damage to the surface of the wheel set, which will largely affect the subsequent flaw detection process.

2. High cost: The wire brush head is easy to wear during operation. Once the wear reaches a certain level, it needs to be replaced with a new one. Due to the high frequency of replacement, this greatly increases the cost of using the equipment.

3. Unsafe: The friction between the wire brush head and the surface of the workpiece will cause a large amount of wires to fall off. These tiny wires can drift into other components, causing equipment failure or even endangering workers in severe cases.

4. Environmental pollution: The noise caused by friction is loud, and a large number of falling steel wires will cut and wash away sewage, causing waste pollution.

5. Incomplete cleaning: Due to the limitations of the physical structure, this brushing method has dead ends during cleaning, and some workpieces may not be thoroughly cleaned. Manual polishing is usually required, which not only increases labor intensity, but also causes unstable quality.

In addition, chemical solvent cleaning also shows many shortcomings.

1. High cost: It requires a large amount of chemical solvents, so the cost is relatively high.

2. Health threat: Due to the strong smell, it may pose a threat to the health of staff.

3. Problems with wastewater treatment: The cleaned wastewater needs special treatment, otherwise it may cause corrosion on the wheel surface.

Considering the many shortcomings of the above-mentioned traditional cleaning methods, it is urgent to find a new cleaning method to replace them in order to more effectively solve the cleaning problem of train wheelsets. Therefore, there is an urgent need for a better cleaning method to replace it to solve the cleaning problem of train wheelsets.

3. Advantages Of Laser Cleaning Machines In Train Wheel Set Cleaning

Laser cleaning is a new type of cleaning method. It irradiates the surface of the object to be cleaned with laser, and uses the absorption and reflection of energy of different wavelengths by different surface materials to form an interaction force, thereby peeling off the object to be cleaned from the surface of the substrate. Compared with traditional cleaning methods, laser cleaning has significant advantages, including excellent cleaning effects, high cleaning efficiency, non-contact, no damage to the substrate, environmental protection, cost reduction and efficiency improvement. These advantages are unmatched by traditional cleaning methods. In the rail transportation industry, laser cleaning has broad application prospects.

In the rail transportation industry, laser cleaning technology has the following significant highlights in train wheel set cleaning:
Environmental protection of laser cleaning machine in train wheel set cleaning

The contaminant particles and gases generated by the laser cleaning machine during the laser cleaning process can be collected and purified by a simple portable exhaust fan, so it will not cause pollution to the environment. In contrast, traditional mechanical cleaning methods require the use of large amounts of water and chemical cleaning agents and produce cleaning waste liquid, which not only wastes resources but also pollutes the environment. In addition, laser cleaning machines can further reduce energy consumption and carbon emissions by optimizing the cleaning process.
Non-contact cleaning of laser cleaning machine in train wheel set cleaning

Laser cleaning machines have the advantage of being non-damaging. It uses a laser beam to irradiate the surface of an object to form an extremely expanded plasma, thereby generating a shock wave. The shock wave breaks contaminants into fragments and is removed, without causing any damage to the substrate during the entire cleaning process.
Economic benefits of laser cleaning machine in train wheel set cleaning

Although the initial purchase cost of a laser cleaning machine is higher, it is more economical in the long term. Laser cleaning machines have a long service life, usually up to 10,000 hours, stable quality, and do not require much maintenance and care in daily use. In addition, the laser cleaning machine does not consume any consumables during use and has low operating costs. Due to its high cleaning efficiency, it can save a lot of manpower and time costs. In the future, you only need to clean or replace the protective lenses regularly. Therefore, in the long run, laser cleaning machines have low maintenance costs and are almost maintenance-free.
The efficiency of laser cleaning machines in train wheel set cleaning

Laser cleaning machines can clean train wheelsets quickly and efficiently. Compared with traditional mechanical cleaning methods, laser cleaning machines do not require direct contact with train wheelsets, so they can save a lot of time and manpower. In addition, the laser cleaning machine can also partially or comprehensively clean the train wheels according to different requirements, thus improving the cleaning efficiency.
Laser cleaning machine in automated assembly line for train wheel set cleaning

Laser cleaning machines can be grafted onto mature production lines to achieve remote control and cleaning. It can form a complete automated assembly line, realize equipment automation, and form a complete product operating system and intelligent control.

4. Practical Application Of Laser Cleaning Machines In The Maintenance Process Of Rail Transit Equipment

Cleaning operation is one of the indispensable key links in the maintenance process of rail transit equipment, and plays an important role in improving product quality and extending service life. During the inspection and maintenance of rail transit equipment, there are a large number of parts that need to be cleaned, such as axles, bogies, tracks, gearboxes, brake discs, etc. that need to be removed from oil, rust, paint and other contaminants. Due to the wide variety of dirt, different cleaning methods need to be used, and even parts must be disassembled, resulting in a long cleaning process. Traditional cleaning methods have problems such as damage to the substrate, poor working environment, pollution, long cleaning time, incomplete cleaning of some locations, and high cleaning costs. For the cleaning of rail transit equipment, Legent Laser can create professional laser cleaning equipment and customized solutions for customers. It effectively solves problems such as cleaning, ensures the safety and stability of trains traveling thousands of miles, and protects the safety of railway transportation.

5. The Development Prospects Of Laser Cleaning Machines In Train Wheel Set Cleaning

Laser cleaning machines have the advantages of high efficiency, environmental protection, economy and safety in train wheel set cleaning. Laser cleaning machines have broad development prospects in train wheel set cleaning. Under the dual guidance of policies and market demands, laser cleaning is becoming an important cleaning method for rail transit manufacturing and maintenance, helping to improve the quality and efficiency of rail transit. With the continuous development of technology and the continuous expansion of application fields, laser cleaning machines will be applied and promoted in more fields. Legent Laser will also expand to higher and more precise fields based on existing laser cleaning technology, continuously improve, upgrade and optimize laser cleaning equipment to make more contributions to the rail transit field.

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