Improvement of the suspension system of the wagons with laminated springs

Abstract

In the exploitation of the laminated-spring freight wagons, a large number of suspension element fractures are detected. These fractures decrease transportation efficiency and are very often the cause of derailment with large economic losses and sometimes even those of human lives. This paper presents a failure analysis as well as that of the laminated-spring wagons' suspension improvement. The technique is based on specially designed rubber elastic elements which can be subsequently installed in the wagon suspension. This solution is the result of many years of research studies at the Railway Vehicles Centre of the Mechanical Engineering Faculty of Kraljevo in this field. The rubber elastic element is very easy to install in all the existing wagons, between the laminated-spring buckle and the underframe. The applied methodology is based on theoretical and experimental analysis of behaviour of the suspension with and without rubber elastic elements. Subsequent installation of rubber elastic elements can prevent very frequent fractures of laminated springs and cracks on the underframes. This provides for enormously reduced costs of wagon's maintenance as well as for an increased railway transportation efficiency.