HIGH PERFORMANCE RAILWAY FRICTION MANAGEMENT SOLUTIONS
RS Clare offers an extensive range of friction management equipment and consumables to help rail customers around the world protect their assets.
With more passengers, increased service frequencies, heavier axle loads and higher speeds, the strain on our railway infrastructure and rolling stock has never been greater. In the face of these demands, RS Clare offers a portfolio of innovative friction management solutions that enable our customers to increase safety, reduce maintenance costs, improve passenger and freight service reliability, and protect our environment.
Our comprehensive range of gauge face lubricants, top of rail friction control materials and friction management equipment has been designed to maximise wheel and rail life whilst minimising the need for expensive and dangerous trackside maintenance across a wide range of operating conditions.
That’s why a growing number of rail operators and infrastructure managers already rely on RS Clare as the go-to specialists for cost-effective trackside and onboard wheel/rail interface friction management solutions that outlast and outperform. As the biggest supplier of gauge face lubricants to the UK’s national rail network, London Underground, and light rail systems, we are also major suppliers to freight and transit networks in North America and Australia and have a growing presence in Europe and Asia.
Friction Management Systems – Global Reach
With the acquisition of railway lubrication solutions provider, Igralub Holding GMBH, RS Clare are able to offer a full range of friction management systems.
Download Our Rail Conditioning Guide
RS Clare are approved by RISQS (Rail Industry Suppliers Qualification Scheme).
MEETING THE HIGHEST ECO-STANDARDS
Engineered to EU Ecolabel standards, our unique technology EcoCurve range offers unrivalled environmental performance.
Read our green grease guide 5 things you need to know about eco-friendly rail greases to find out more about how environmental performance is defined and measured.
ALL-SEASONS CURVED RAIL LUBRICATION
ONE GREASE GRADE FOR ALL SEASONS
Visit Our Rail Noise and Vibration Monitoring Webpage
Our range of Rail friction management solutions includes Ecolabel accredited curved rail grease, top of rail friction control materials, gauge face greases, lubricants for infrastructure, rail noise and vibration monitoring and application equipment.
GAUGEFACE LUBRICATION: HOW IT WORKS AND WHY WE NEED IT
CURVED RAIL LUBRICANTS ARE AN ESSENTIAL COMPONEENT OF THE RAIL INDUSTRY, PLAYING A CRITICAL ROLE IN ENSURFING RELIABLE, SAFE OPERATION OF VEHICLES AND PROTECTING INFRASTRUCTURE.
While the strain on rail networks to control costs has never been greater, innovative friction management solutions are essential to lessen the time engineers spend on track, reduce maintenance costs to achieve long term savings, whilst also protecting our environment.
DESIRABLE CHARACTERISTICS OF A CURVED RAIL LUBRICANT
An optimal curved rail lubricant will deliver high levels of performance in each of the areas set out below, and inevitably the higher the performance capability of the lubricant, the higher the cost to the customer. The desired balance between cost and performance will vary according to market and customer requirements; however, it is good practice to assess the through-life costs and benefits of a lubrication system rather than the simple up-front cost of a lubricant.
- Low Coefficient of Friction (CoF)
The lubricant should ensure CoF at the wheel/rail interface, typically less than 0.15.
- Wide Operating Temperature Range
Desirable to maximise the temperature range over which a lubricant’s viscosity remains consistent, which in turn ensures pumpability through common dispensing systems. Given a wide enough temperature range a single product can be used all year round which is important in environments with wide seasonal variations. Correct viscosity is also essential to avoid pump cavitation, ensure consistent application on demand, and achieve consistent and stable beading from applicator equipment.
- Carry Down
The distance from the point of application over which the lubricant remains effective. Generally, the further the carry-down achieved the better, although this characteristic is heavily influenced by factors such as track condition, vehicle axle loading and number of axles over a given period.
- Application Rate
Closely linked to carry-down, application rate for a given product to achieve required performance. Ideally, lower application rates are desirable as this can:
- Reduce purchase quantities
- Reduce the number of applicators needed over a given length of track
- Reduce the refill frequency and associated logistics and resource costs
- Improve safety by reducing on-track time for maintainers
- Good Adhesion and Cohesion
Adhesion means the ability of the lubricant to stick to a wheel or track and cohesion the ability to stick to itself. These are important to minimise the amount of “splash-off” when a train initially picks up lubricant, and “fling-off” from the trains rotating wheels during the carry down phase. Good cohesion also affects a lubricant’s elastic properties and helps minimise the amount of lubricant “squeezed” out of a contact patch under pressure.
- Controlled Release of Lubricant
Controlled release of lubricant without excessive oil bleed characterises a grease’s ability to deliver the lubricant in the working zone as well as its stability in storage. Key to this are the thickener structure and content, and also the manufacturing process. Variations in the manufacturing process can lead to significant performance differences between products with similar formulations and are often the basis of proprietary product data. An effective thickener structure remains stable and ensures low oil separation which is important to ensure the lubricant retains its designed performance characteristics over its designed storage life, and also to ensure separation does not occur in applicator tanks. Good cohesion also helps prevent separation.
- Extreme Pressure (EP)
Good EP characteristics maximise the wear protection offered by a lubricant under heavy load and are usually achieved by special EP additives and/ or by certain thickener systems. EP performance is indicated by 4 ball weld and/or scar testing although other tests are available.
- Corrosion Protection
The lubricant should offer corrosion protection to the rails and wheels.
- Wash-Off
A further desirable characteristic is good resistance to water wash-off to ensure that the lubricant film is maintained in wet conditions.
- Safe Handling
Our rail lubricants are non-hazardous and non-toxic, ensuring the safety of the operators who handle them.
- Environmental Factors
Although the importance of the environmental impact of this type of product varies between markets and customers, the fact that these are total loss systems where all the lubricant enters the environment means “Eco Credentials” are becoming increasingly important for many users. In the EU the benchmark performance criteria is EU Ecolabel, although there are a range of other relevant standards such as Blue Angel. A further common test for biodegradability of lubricants is OECD 301b. Care should be taken to fully understand how the claimed Environmental performance of a product meets the environmental requirements of a customer, as widely used terminology with specific meanings such as “Bio-based” and “readily biodegradable” are sometimes used on a generic basis and can be misleading as to how environmentally friendly a product really is.
HOW IS THE LUBRICANT APPLIED?
Trackside lubrication:
The first delivery system of rail lubricants is trackside lubrication. This is a delivery system that is designed for application via trackside lubricators positioned at critical points along the railway track to lubricate the gauge corner of rail curves.
On-board spray:
The second is delivered via on-board spray This is particularly suited to sensitive and highly visible urban sites and involves curve-sensing controls.
Solid Stick
The third one is also an on-board system, delivered via a solid stick. This is a simple and clean system that is easy to maintain.
Read some of our latest case studies to find out more about how we have helped our customers to reduce wheel/rail wear, reduce noise issues and control friction at the wheel/rail interface.
DID YOU KNOW?
YOU DON'T HAVE TO CHOOSE BETWEEN PROTECTION AT THE WHEEL/RAIL INTERFACE OR PROTECTING THE ENVIRONMENT
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