Mais minério por via ferroviária nos novos vagões
Os novos vagões em aço de elevada resistência estão em serviço bem no norte da Europa, entre Luleå na Suécia e Narvik na Noruega. A carga máxima admissível sobre o eixo é de 30 toneladas, o que significa que cada vagão totalmente carregado não pode pesar mais de 120 toneladas.
THE CHALLENGE
The framework was set by the authories
LKAB has raised its delivery capacity substantially in recent years, and the trend will continue in the immediate future. In order to succeed, transport must take place without disturbances and at high efficiency. The designers have therefore devoted a great deal of effort to designing the wagons for rapid loading and unloading, which take place while the train is rolling. The wagons must also be designed for a minimum of service and maintenance time.
”We had to put to use everything possible within the framework set by the authorities for railway wagons,” explains Jonas Finn, Project Leader at LKAB for the development of the new wagon bodies. ”In the design work, we also had to take into consideration that the wagons must be more efficient and simpler to maintain.”
THE SOLUTION
Efficient design
The extra-high strength steel used for the wagon body is 4 mm thick. The two large hatches at the bottom of the wagon open fully for emptying.
”In the new wagons, there are no corners or folds in which the ore can remain when emptying” ,” says Jonas Finn
The design of the body is similar to that of a boat hull, so that the body is stayed by ribs that distribute the forces from the load onto the chassis. The design is efficient and requires no external reinforcements. Laser-hybrid welding and laser cutting are used in the production of the wagons.
“Lighter wagons, more profitable transports”
CUSTOMER BENIFITS
Increased payload capacity in weight and volume
The change is the product of successful design work, in which high strength steel has played a central role. The deadweight of the wagons has been reduced by extra-high strength, hot rolled steel with a minimum yield strength of 650 MPa being used for the wagon bodies.
Lighter wagons has led to more profitable transport, since the payload capacity of the wagons has been increased in terms of weight by 20 percent and in terms of volume, by around 25 percent.