Floating Rail Milling Workheads for Single-Pass Profile Restoration
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional rail repair processes require multiple operations, including milling and grinding, which generate sparks and dust, and are inefficient due to the need for pattern selection and multiple passes.
Innovation Solution
A rail milling vehicle equipped with a chassis, milling assembly, and multiple milling workheads that can float laterally and vertically, featuring a cutter with a shroud and vacuum system to capture sparks and dust, allowing for efficient milling without subsequent grinding, and a computing system for precise profile control.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If conventional rail grinding is used to repair rail profile, then rail surface can be restored, but sparks and dust are generated during the process
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the mechanical grinding process with a water jet cutting system. High-pressure water jets erode the rail metal through hydrodynamic abrasion, eliminating sparks and dust generation while maintaining precise profile restoration capability. The water jet system uses kinetic energy of pressurized water mixed with abrasive particles to cut and shape the rail surface.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the physical state and properties of the cutting medium from dry mechanical contact (grinding) to pressurized fluid flow (water jet). By adjusting water pressure, flow rate, and abrasive particle characteristics, the system achieves effective material removal without generating harmful sparks and dust, thus resolving the contradiction between manufacturing precision and harmful factor generation.
2Manufacturing precision
If multiple operations (milling followed by grinding) are used to repair rail, then comprehensive rail profile restoration is achieved, but the repair process becomes inefficient and time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the functions of milling and grinding into a single water jet cutting operation. The high-pressure water jet system can simultaneously perform material removal, profile shaping, and surface finishing that were previously required through separate milling and grinding operations. This consolidation eliminates the need for multiple passes and operations, significantly improving repair efficiency while maintaining comprehensive profile restoration.
Solution Approach 2:
The water jet cutting system is designed to perform multiple functions in one operation: it can remove material, shape the rail profile, and finish the surface. This multi-functional capability replaces the specialized milling and grinding operations, allowing a single system to achieve comprehensive rail profile restoration with improved productivity and reduced repair time.
3Manufacturing precision
If conventional milling machines are used to remove rail material, then rail profile can be restored, but subsequent grinding operations are still required to complete the repair
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines material removal and surface finishing functions into the single water jet cutting process. The hydrodynamic abrasion mechanism inherently produces a finished surface that eliminates the need for subsequent grinding operations, reducing the number of required operations from two (milling + grinding) to one (water jet cutting).
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts the surface finishing function from the traditional milling process by using water jet cutting, which naturally produces a finished surface. This eliminates the need for the separate grinding operation that was previously required to complete the repair, thereby reducing device complexity and the number of operations.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enables efficient, single-pass rail profile restoration with reduced material removal, avoiding sparks and dust, and achieving higher work speeds while accommodating rail variations and curves.
Implementation Method 1
a milling workhead forming a portion of the rail milling assembly. The milling workhead including a spindle and a cutter depending downwardly from the spindle. The spindle and cutter are driven by a spindle motor.
Implementation Method 2
Each milling workhead optionally includes a shroud disposed about the cutter for capturing sparks and dust.
Implementation Method 3
a cutter with a shroud and vacuum system to capture sparks and dust
Implementation Method 4
The milling workhead further includes a cylinder rod disposed between the spindle motor and the spindle to thereby bias the cutter towards the rail during operation.
Implementation Method 5
the rail milling assembly is adapted to float both laterally and in a vertical direction, thus accommodating variations and curves in the rail.
Data Source
AI summary
The present disclosure relates to a rail vehicle that includes a chassis and a rail milling assembly coupled to the chassis. The rail milling assembly includes a bracket for coupling the rail milling assembly to the chassis and a milling workhead forming a portion of the rail milling assembly. The milling workhead including a spindle and a cutter depending downwardly from the spindle. The spindle and cutter are driven by a spindle motor. The milling workhead further includes a cylinder rod disposed between the spindle motor and the spindle to thereby bias the cutter towards the rail during operation.