THE INFLUENCE OF THE SHAPE OF WORKING SURFACE OF STRAIGHTENING ROLLERS OF VERTICAL AND HORIZONTAL STRAIGHTENING MACHINES ON THE STATE OF RESIDUAL STRESSES IN RAILWAY RAIL – SECOND STAGE OF RESEARCHES

Abstract

The paper presents the results of the second stage of work on the influence of the shape of straightening rollers on the state of residual stresses in rails, conducted as part of a project co-financed by the National Centre for Research and Development. The tests included numerical simulations of the rail straightening process using a new roll pass design of vertical and horizontal straightener rollers, determination of stress distribution maps in the rail after straightening in successive rollers of both straightening machines, as well as measurement of residual stresses in the rails after straightening operation in industrial conditions. The tests were carried out on R260 grade 60E1 rails. The reduction of tensile residual stresses in the centre of symmetry axis of the rail foot was obtained up to an average level of 32 MPa, i.e. by more than four times less in relation to the level achieved using traditional technology.