Analyzing the impact of curved tracks on wheel flange thickness reduction in railway systems

Flanges are critical parts of railway wheels that guide the wheels on the track and prevent them from derailing. However, curved tracks have a great influence on wheel flange wear, which leads to increased maintenance costs, passenger discomfort, poor ride quality, and increased noise and vibrations. This research aims to analyze the effect of curved tracks on wheel flange thickness reduction using the multi-body simulation software SIMPACK. The wheel flange wear was calculated to determine how much material is lost in terms of the area of material loss for different curve radii of 50, 100, and 200 m. The obtained results show that at curved track sections of smaller radius, for example, 50 m, the occurrence of wheel flange thickness reduction is higher than that of curved track sections with larger radii. Also, high speeds such as 40 km/h, especially at the track curved sections with small radii, lead to an increase in wheel flange thickness reduction compared to track curved sections with large radii. The results of wear indices obtained using SIMPACK and VAMPIR closely matched with a small percentage error difference of 1.94%. The matching of these results validated the effectiveness of the methods used in this research to calculate wear. Therefore, these conclusions will assist maintenance personnel in developing countermeasures to minimize wheel flange thickness reduction, ensure proper re-profiling, and reduce maintenance costs.