[AT] Welding Rails

[Howard Pletcher]

Steel Dynamics said they were looking at friction welding of the rails
although I didn't ask the obvious question of how they would obtain the
friction since spinning the parts doesn't seem possible.  Perhaps some sort
of high frequency vibration?

The process used in the video is very similar to what is done at Steel
Dynamics.

Howard

On Tue, Dec 3, 2019 at 10:22 AM Gene Dotson <gdotsly at watchtv.net> wrote:

>     Our process at Rockwell for welding spindles on to axle tubes was
> simply
> called butt welding in our processes. The axle tube and spindle were
> clamped
> in their own vice like device and held in stationary precise location. They
> both were heated to very near melting temperature by a large high frequency
> induction coil, then high pressure cylinders forced the spindle onto the
> axle tube. The intensive pressure added the extra temperature to melt the
> mating surfaces, completing the weld which was then quenched by a spray of
> water and quenching fluid.
>
>     A later method was friction welding. The axle beam was clamped
> stationary in a holding fixture. The spindle was located in a fixture that
> was on a rotating spindle and rotated at high speed with pressure exerted
> on
> the mating surface creating a very high temperature. At near melting
> temperature, a quick application from an induction coil completed the
> heating process at which  point the spindle was stopped with molten metal
> at
> junction of spindle with pressure at which time the weld was quenched
> completing the process.
>
>                                             Gene
>
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Carl Gogol
> Sent: Saturday, November 30, 2019 7:47 AM
> To: 'Antique Tractor Email Discussion Group'
> Subject: Re: [AT] Welding Rails
>
> Rails are thermite welded in the field
> Carl
> Manlius, NY
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: AT <at-bounces at lists.antique-tractor.com> On Behalf Of James Peck
> Sent: Saturday, November 30, 2019 7:27 AM
> To: Antique Tractor Email Discussion Group <at at lists.antique-tractor.com>
> Subject: Re: [AT] Welding Rails
>
> That certainly looks like resistance welding.
>
> Steve Offiler AT List member Mechanical Engineer (soffiler at gmail.com);
> Interesting, but not very helpful:
>
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f9i4aMYTv8o
>
> James AT List Member (jamesgpeck at hotmail.com); You have got me curious. I
> am
> going to guess resistance welding if you say that the rail ends are pushed
> together.
>
> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electric_resistance_welding
>
> Howard Pletcher AT List Member AT List Member (hrpletch at gmail.com); The
> process is mostly automated and details are hidden by the equipment. The
> rail joint comes into the welding station, the operator cleans the ends,
> the
> door closes, and there’s 2 seconds of arcing.  My understanding is it
> begins
> with a small gap between the ends and as the steel begins to melt from the
> arc, it is shoved together with high pressure. I assume the rails are
> clamped between (large) contacts to apply the current—should have asked for
> more details.
>
> Mentioning dimming city lights, they melt 120 tons of scrap in an electric
> arc furnace in a batch. They said this uses the same current as the city of
> Fort Wayne. Fortunately they are on their own distribution lines so the
> lights don’t go out.
>
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