More about Crane Rail Fastening System

This is an informational post, please check the crane rail fastening system page if you are searching for the product.

Crane rail is a combined field of mechanical engineering and civil engineering. In general, mechanical engineers only focus on the problems of operational outfit, and the civil engineers only care about the safety and reliability of track construction. As for the part in between, due to the short of professional engineering technicians, there always exist some problems of crane rails.
Currently, most solution for crane rail fixing is designed according to the standard drawing of railroad track. Traditional method of rail connection adopts rail joint bars, but it is better for crane rail to use crane rail fastening system. But why use crane rail fastening? If a crane has very low running speed, low working frequency, and low wheel-pressure, it’s working to adopt traditional rail fixing system. If a crane has high running speed, high working frequency, and high wheel pressure, the traditional fixing system will produce a bad influence on the crane rail. Actually, with the update of technology, the tonnage of crane become more and larger, working frequency also get more and higher. Traditional rail fixing system can’t be adaptable for the requirement of crane development, that’s why knowing crane rail fastening system is important.

Crane rail fastening market

In China, traditional rail fixing system requires low investment, but high maintenance cost. As for the cost of beading for cranes and breakage of transmission shaft, let alone the indirect loss produced by the stop work. GANTREX is a typical crane rail fastening system manufacturer. Nowadays, gantry crane rail fastening system is known as the most reliable and cost-effective type of crane rail fastening. So we analyze the crane rail fastening system according to the data of gantry crane rail fastening system.

Common problems of rail fastening system for crane rail

1. For traditional rail fastening system, rails are connected by the rail joint. There is a joint between two rails, when crane pass through rail joint, strong vibration, the impact will damage the structure.
2. Due to the load from the track, track bolt and fish bolt often loose, which need nonscheduled maintenance.
3. When rail track is wearing and gnawing, joint will misplace and deform. It is hard to do the lateral adjustment.
4. Sometimes, the concrete bed under the rails is broken, the rail joint will sink.
5. Part of rail track bends into S-shape curve along the axial line.
6. Common rail clips can force the crane rail.

Components of crane rail fastening

Rail rubber pad

Rail rubber pad is made of anti-abrasive, pressure-proof, anti-oxidative, uviofast, grease-proof synthetic rubber. There are grooves on the surface of rail pad, which keeps the close connection between rail base and rail rubber pad and reduce the abrasion of rail pad. There is steel disc in the middle of pad for increasing lateral rigidity of pad. The width of steel disc is generally thin, and it is easy to roll for transportation. The width of steel disc is proportional to the width of rail pad.

Crane clips

Crane clip of GANTREX is different with normal rail clips. There is a special part of vulcanized rubber, and it vertically compresses the crane rail with elastic force. The crane rail of GANTREX has adjustable lateral and self-locking function, and the base is made by the forging process. Forged metal can improve its structure and mechanical property. Compared to the forged piece of same material, casting piece has lower mechanical property.
Crane rail fastening system has the strict requirement on the clamping force and lateral force of each set of crane clip. Due to the base should bear huge alternating lateral force from tie plate, Crane clip of GANTREX have the high standard of material and welding of base. In general, crane clip adopts forging process, which has good safety, long service life.  

Continuous welded rail 

Rail connection adopts welding method, which requires variable crane clips. Welding method is allowed to elongate and shorten when the rail is heated or cooled.

Grout

Compared to ordinary cement, grout has features of good early-strength performance, good fluidity, and high compressive strength. After molding, grout has no plastic shrinkage.

Why use crane rail fastening system to replace traditional rail fasteners?

Obviously, crane rail fastening is more suitable than traditional rail fastening for crane rail fixing. In a word, crane rail fastening system can make up the shortfall of traditional fastening system.

1. Traditional crane rail fixing is joined by the rail fish plate, there will be a gap between two ends of rails. The rail tracks can’t be connected into a continuous part. The gap will produce vibration when the train passes the rail joint. Frequent vibration will lose the crane bolts and fish bolts, also result in much more other damage to crane or crane rail.

Solution: welding method is the most effective way to solve the joint problem. Welding method requires the adjustable crane rail clip.

2. Crane rail is made by the hot rolling, and rail base usually has an uneven surface. In the primary period, the contact surface between concrete and rail track will be same as rail base. While longitudinal extension of rail track caused by the thermal expansion and contraction will form peak When the crane operates, the pressure crushes the particles. Again and again, the concrete bed will be damaged.

Solution: to solve problems above, laying steel plate between rail track and concrete surface. Rail pad of crane rail fastening reduces the positive pressure. Grout of crane rail fastening system also provides protection for concrete. Steel plate and cement bound together with grout. Grout has stable size and good liquidity, which is easy to install and also can avoid plastic shrinkage.  

3. Traditional rail clips for fixing steel plate is directly on the anchor bolt. The lateral force produced by the crane operation through the anchor bolt and pass to the concrete bed. When the lateral force is much bigger than the ultimate strength of concrete bed, the bed will be broken and anchor bolt will lose.

Solution: set the anchor bolt and crane clips separately. The anchor bolt is only used to fix steel plate, the lateral force is evenly passed to the anchor bolt and concrete bed will accept less force. Rail track is fastened by the crane clips.

4. When the crane runs along the crane rail track, the end of rail will be left vertically, and large lifting capacity will appear. The lifting capacity can lose or break track bolts.

Solution: crane rail fastening system have a rubber pad, it can protect crane bolts from loose or fracture.