Inthe first of a two-part article on railway axle boxdesign, we look at theevolution of this key railway subsystem from an historical perspective. Asa company with a long tradition of developing axlebox solutions, SKF has alwaysaddressed environmental issues such as energy conservation and lubricationsaving for this market.
Technology
Since their earliest use in railway applications, axleboxbearings have offered energy and lubrication saving opportunities. Today, mostrailway vehicles are equipped with increasing advanced designs based onwheelset axlebox assemblies, comprising the wheelset bearings or bearing units,the axlebox housing and integrated sensors. SKF now serves the railway marketwith additional solutions such as condition monitoring and service packagesincluding service engineering, remanufacturing and training.
The essential design concept for railway wheels hasremained unchanged throughout railway history. The assembly of two railwaywheels and an axle is commonly called a “wheelset”, which rotates and issupported by bearings that are called “axlebox” or “journal” bearings. Theseare housed in axleboxes or supported by special adapters that are connecteddirectly or via springs with the running gear, in most cases designed as abogie. An axle box is one of the safety-critical subsystems in railway vehicles.
Through the application of tribology, the study offriction, lubrication and wear, engineers and scientists have learned muchabout the interaction of surfaces in relative motion. Examples of appliedtribology can be found in transport. For railways, the humble beginnings ofwheel and axlebox designs has evolved through early antifriction axleboxbearings to the latest development of highly sophisticated axlebox bearingunits and complex solution packages covering bearings, seals, lubrication,mechatronics (e.g., sensors to detect operational parameters) and a comprehensiverange of services.
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