MELTING OF STEEL SCRAP AND CASTING OF

WHEEL

AT
 
RAIL WHEEL PLANT, BELA
 
 ABOUT THE PLANT

• Rail Wheel Plant, Bela has become a Production Unit of Indian Railways
w.e.f 01.08.2014.
• Foundation stone of this Plant was laid in 2008 by the then Minister for
Railways Shri Lalu Prasad Yadav.
• It is built at an approximate cost of Rs. 1500 crores. It is spread over a land
area of 295 acres.
• The project work is being looked after by Workshop Projects/Indian
Railways, Patna.
• The Rail Wheel Plant’s construction started in July 2008.. The plant was
constructed as EPC contract to M/s Larsen & Toubro Limited.
• Two kinds of wheel are made by RWP, Bela
1) Box – N wheels, these are used in goods train.
2) BG coaching wheel, these are used in passenger trains.
 SECTIONS OF PLANT
• Steel Melting Shop (SMS) – Deals with melting of scrap.
• Mould Room (MR) – Consists of cope and drag line.
• Wheel final processing shop (WFPS) – Deals with heat
treatment, cleaning and testing of wheel.
• Mould repair shop (MRS) – Deals with repair of cope and
drag.
• Road transport shop (RTS) – Deals with forklift and other
vehicle maintenance.
• Utility – Provides oxygen, LPG, compressed air and water
to the plant.
 PROPERTIES OF WHEEL

Element Box – N wheel BG coaching wheel

Carbon 0.57 – 0.67 % 0.47 – 0.57 %
Manganese 0.60 – 0.80 % 0.60 – 0.80 %
Silicon 0.50 – 0.70 % 0.15 – 0.07 %
Phosphorous 0.03 % (max) 0.03 % (max)
Sulphur 0.03 % (max) 0.03 % (max)

Parameter Box – N wheel BG coaching wheel

Wheel diameter 1000 – 1007 mm 915 – 924 mm

Flange height 28.5 mm 28.5 mm
Plate thickness 22 mm (min) 19 mm (min)
Rim thickness 127 ± 4.5 mm 120 ± 3 mm
Hub bore diameter 200 – 213 mm 168 ± 1.5 mm
Hub projection 63 ± ⁹₆ mm 60 ± 3 mm
Hub thickness 190 ± 6 mm 190 ± 3 mm
No. of risers 10 9
Brinell hardness number 227 - 341 225 - 321
Weight 500 kg 450 kg
Flowchart of the process
 MELTING OF SCRAP
TYPES OF SCRAP
• Heavy Medium Scrap (HMS) – Wheel cut, Axel cut, Risers, hub cut, etc.
• Light Medium Scrap (LMS) – Sleepers, Steel structures and frames, etc.
• Light Scraps – Borings, Chips, etc.
STEPS UNDERTAKEN DURING MELTING OF SCRAP
• Arrival of scrap at Scrap Preconditioning Bay.
• Scrap cutting through manual gas cutting.
• Transportation of scrap to Melt Shop in trucks.
• Grouping of scrap in different containers in Melt Shop.
• Bucket Charging – Loading of scrap in bottom opening bucket.
• Furnace Charging – Transporting scrap, graphite powder and calcined lime into the
furnace.
• Arcing in the furnace started by providing 440V current between 3 graphite
electrodes.
• After arcing for about 50 – 55 min, oxygen lancing is started through the slag door.
• After about 1hr 15min from start of arcing at a temperature of 1570 – 1586 °C, the
1st sample is taken to check the composition of carbon, known as ‘Opening
Carbon’.
• At a temperature of about 1600 °C slag in taken out through back tilting into the
slag pot.
• If opening carbon percentage is low then carburizing is done by adding graphite
powder into the molten metal.
– If opening carbon percentage is high decarburizing is done by oxygen blow
into the molten metal.
– If conditions are ideal then about 120kg Ferro – Manganese is added.
• At a temperature of about 1620 - 1630 °C the 2nd sample is taken and composition
of all elements are checked.
• Reducing Slag Mixture (RSM), a mixture of Fe – Si, graphite powder and calcined
lime, is added.
• At a temperature of about 1640 – 1655 °C the 3rd sample is taken.
• The 4th sample known as ‘Check Sample’ is taken 3min after the 3rd sample.
• The molten metal is tapped into the ladle at about a temperature of 1700 °C.
• The ladle is transported to the Pouring Station and at about a temperature of
about 1570 – 1610 °C pouring is done.
 SCRAP CUTTING
• Scrap arrives at Scrap Preconditioning Bay, and they are cut
manually by using gas cutting using LPG and O₂ gas.
 FURNACE CHARGING

Amount of material taken for 1 heat:

• Heavy medium scrap – 15 to 16 tones
• Light medium scrap – 5 to 6 tones
• Light scrap – 1 to 1.5 tones
• Calcined lime – 1 ton ( acts as flux)
• Graphite powder – 250 to 300 kg ( gives the
required carbon composition)
 ELECTRIC ARC FURNACE

• The Electric Arc Furnace has a body made of mild steel and hence
cannot sustain such high temperatures, so furnace lining is done
using Magnesia - Carbon bricks and Safety bricks (IS – 8 bricks)
which are joined using Wet Rummy mass (WRM) and the bottom
has Dry Rummy mass (DRM) patching. DRM is a refractory material
which hardens on heating.
• The furnace can tilt about 15° at the back for slag removal and can
tilt about 45° at the front to take out the molten metal.
• The furnace uses three large Graphite electrodes, operated using
hydraulic cylinders, which are supplied with 440V current this leads
to sparking which generates a lot of spark, cracking sound and heat
which melts the scrap.
• For a heat a furnace operates for about 2 – 2.5 hr. And it gives an
output of about 20 – 20.5 tones.
 LADLE

• Ladle is used to carry the molten material from the furnace to

the pouring crane with the help of EOT crane.
• It is made up of mild steel and has a weight of about 12 tones.
• Ladle lining is done using IS – 8 bricks and 70 % high alumina
bricks.
• After ladle lining the ladle is preheated to a temperature of
about 1200 °C. The ladle preheater uses LPG as fuel.
• For tapping of molten metal ladle preparation is done by adding:
1) Fe – Si about 180 – 200 kg.
2) Fe – Mn as required (3 kg for increase in 1 point).
3) Graphite powder as required (2kg for increase in 1 point).
4) Aluminum star is added to absorb oxygen.
 POURING
• The pouring crane carries out controlled pressure pouring by pressurizing and
depressurizing the molten metal contained in a ladle placed in the vessel.
• Compressed air is charged in the vessel which then goes to the top of the
ladle and puts pressure on the surface of molten metal this leads to rise of
molten metal in the pouring tube.
• There is a gap of about 3 – 4cm between the pouring tube end and ladle
base.
• The clamping cylinders tightly clamps the cope and drag assembly.
• The molten metal enters the mould cavity through the ingate and fills the
cavity and risers.
• A worker puts rice hulls into the risers, which burn and prevents the molten
metal in riser from solidifying before the metal in mould cavity.
• Once the mould fills up the stopper pipe is pushed by the stopper pressing
cylinder, this blocks the intake of molten metal in the mould.
• The mould then moves along the line to the splitter crane but is left closed for
about 9 - 10min before splitting to allow the metal to solidify.
 SPLITTING
• After pouring the mould arrives at the ‘Splitter Crane’ which has a capacity
of 60wheels/hr.
• The splitter crane clamps the cope retainer and pulls the cope above and
places it on the cope line. A red hot coloured wheel is observed, a worker
knocks down some risers using a rod.
• The wheel in the drag moves to the ‘Transfer Crane’ which knocks down
the remaining risers. The transfer crane the lifts the wheel off the drag and
places it in the ‘Hot Wheel Kiln’.
• The drag then moves along the drag line.

 
 HOT WHEEL KILN
• The Hot Wheel Kiln is a covered line through which the newly casted hot
wheel moves and cools down slowly in stages.
• There are total of 3 hot wheel kilns with capacity of 32 wheels and cycle
time of 45 min.
 POURING TUBE
• These are white coloured ceramic tubes which are immersed into the ladle
to guide the molten metal into the mould cavity via the ingate.

 
 INGATE
• These are graphite tubes made in the MRS.
• These protect the drag from damage by molten metal.
• If the ingate gets damaged it can be replaced and the drag can be used
again without any repairs needed.
SAND PLANT
Two types of Silica sand are used in the plant
1) 100 AFS sand – Used for cleaning of cope and drag.
2) 45 AFS sand – Used for baking of cope.
Preparation of sand for baking:
• 740 metric ton of sand is placed in sand bin.
• Using a Grab Bucket sand is transported into a Hopper of 5 ton capacity, here
sand is filtered.
• Then it goes to a Rotary Sand Dryer where its dried with the help of LPG burners.
• Then sand goes in a Rotary Sand Cooler.
• From there sand goes into Sand Silo of 60ton capacity.
• From sand silo sand goes into the Mixing Tank where sand, hexa and resin are
mixed for 5.2 min.
• Coated sand which is golden brown in colour is ready to be used for baking.
• Capacity of sand plant is 4ton/hr.
Composition of coated sand:
• 45FAS sand - 360kg heated to 150 to 180 °C.
• Hexa (Hexamethylenetetramine) – 8 % of weight of sand.
• Resin (Phenol formaldehyde) – 3 to 3.5 % of weight of sand.
 DOME BAKING STATION
• There are three hoppers of 14 ton capacity each. 100kg coated sand is
used for baking a cope.
• Baking is done by placing the cope at a temperature of about 250 °C on a
pedestal which is heated to 350 °C and due to this temperature difference
sand attaches to the cope.
Advantages of baking
• Makes the risers to the same level.
• Protects cope from chemical attack.
 SPRAY
Advantages of spray
1) Assists in splitting.
2) Gives smooth surface to the wheel.
3) Prevents chemical attack on mould.
• A batch of spray mixture has 125L of spray and takes 3hr to be prepared.
• The spray mixing tank has a capacity of 225L.
• One packet CMC (25gm) is mixed in 3.75L of water and then put in a big tank which
already has 67L of water.
• 5kg of fused silica is added every 5min.
• Specific gravity of spray mixture = 39 – 41 Baume
• Colour of spray - White
Main constituents of spray mixture
• Fused Silica powder = 25kg X 5= 125kg
• CMC (Carboxymethylcellulose) = 25gm X 5 = 125gm
• Veegum T (Binding agent) = 156.25gm X 8 = 1.25kg
• Formaldehyde solution (Antifungal agent) = 335mL
• Water (At about 50 – 60 °C) = 67L
 STOPPER PIPE
• After spray stopper pipe is fitted in cope.
• A worker assembles the stopper pipe and fills sand in the pipe to prevent
it from bending and then a plastic cap is placed on the top.
• Stopper pipe stops the entry of molten metal in the mould and it also
makes the pilot hole for the hub.
 MOULD REPAIR SHOP
• The damaged cope and drag are repaired here.
• Ingate is also prepared here by performing turning operations on a lathe.
• Both the mould and the ingate are made of Graphite.
• The riser holes are cut using a Radial Drilling machine.
• The roundness of drag is checked by using a deflectometer. The flatness of
drag is also checked by using sticks with deflectometers on them.
• As and when required graphite powder is sprayed on the drag to repair it.
• After repair the cope and drag are placed in an oven.
• Using EOT crane cope is placed in cope retainer and drag in drag retainer.

Height of Mould blank 581 mm

Weight of Mould blank 1000 kg

Diameter of Mould blank 1219.2 mm

Diameter of Riser hole 152.4 mm

 MOULD PRE – HEAT OVEN
• The moulds coming from MRS are stored in Mould Preheat Oven (MPO)
before being sent to the cope and drag line.
• There are a total of 3 MPOs each having a capacity of 24 moulds.
• The heating media are electric heaters.
• The mould is stored at a temperature of about 300 – 350 °C.
SPRUE GRINDING
• From the Hot Wheel Kiln the wheel at a temperature of about
350 °C goes to the Sprue Grinding Machine where its surface is
grinded. There are a total of four Sprue Grinding Machines in the
plant.

 HUB CUTTING
• Hub cutting is done by Hub cutting machine using BMCG (Bharat
Metal Cutting Gas that is propane + O₂). The temperature of
wheel is about 280 °C for hub cutting. There are a total of 3 hub
cutting machines in the plant.
 
 STAMPING
• After Hub cutting the wheel goes to the stamping machine where
it’s marked with a code and “Bela” is stamped on it. This helps in
identification of wheel in case of a failure at the track.
 NORMALIZING
• Normalizing is done by heating the wheels to a temperature above
723 °C in a Normalizing Furnace which is a large circular spaced
furnace with a capacity of 45 wheels and a cycle time of 90 min.
• There are a total of 48 pedestals 3 of which are empty and are present
between the charging and discharging doors.
• The furnace has 44 burners running on LPG and has 7 zones, 4
consisting of 24 burners for heating and 3 zones for soaking consisting
of 20 burners.
• The furnace has refractory brick lining inside and near the burners
ceramic wool is fitted.
• The wheel moves along the circumference of the furnace and emerges
red hot from it at a temperature of 950 – 1000 °C.
Normalizing is done to
• Give uniform grain structure i.e. fine pearlite
• Relieve internal stresses
• Give required mechanical properties
 RIM QUENCHING
• The red hot wheel emerging from the normalizing furnace goes for rim
quenching.
• There are 6 stations each having a circular pipe fitted with 16 nozzles.
• For rim quenching the minimum temperature of wheel should be 780 °C.
• The wheel is enclosed in a cylindrical shell and water with a pressure 3 –
3.5 bar is sprayed on the rim.
• The cycle time is about 2 – 6 min.
• This increases the hardness of the rim which is in contact with the rail and
hence needs high hardness.
 TEMPERING
• Tempering is done in the Draw Furnace which has a capacity of 80 wheels
and 86 hooks to hold the wheel vertical in the furnace.
• The cycle time is of 2 hours and a production rate of 40 wheels/hr.
• There are 8 zones with 8 LPG burners to heat the wheel.
• The outlet temperature is 400 °C.
HUB COOLING
• From the furnace the wheel moves to the hub cooling station
where the hub is washed with water to increase its hardness.
There are a total of 3 stations with 7 nozzles each.

APEX GRINDING
• First the wheel goes for apex grinding by a grinding machine.
 
CLEANING
• Cleaning of the wheel is done using steel shots of 2mm
diameter which are fed by help of a bucket elevator and
sprayed on the wheel at high speeds along with compressed
air. The white coating of spray is removed and the wheel
emerges black in colour.
 TESTING OF WHEEL
BRINELL HARDNESS TEST
• Brinell hardness testing of the wheel is done using Mild steel ball of 10 mm
diameter, 3000 kg of force is applied for a minute and diameter of the
indentation is noted. If diameter is less than 3mm it means the wheel is hard
and if its more than 3mm it means the wheel is soft.
MAGNA GLOW TEST
• A tank of 60 ton stores a solution of Magna Glow powder in water with
10gm per liter. Both the cope and drag side are wetted with magna
glow spray and UV light is switched on. Wherever a crack is present
green glow can be observed. Pin holes and cracks up to 3mm are
acceptable.
ULTRASONIC TEST
• It’s used to check internal defects in the wheel. The rim portion is
submerged in water and ultrasonic waves are passed through the
wheel. There are 6 probes, 3 vertical and 3 horizontal. The wheels
which fail here are discarded.
 WARPAGE TEST
• This test checks the flatness of the wheel. Warpage limit is the gap
between the probe and the wheel surface.
• A gap of 1mm is very good.
• Gap of 2.4 mm is considered OK with some conditions.
• Gap more than 2.4 mm leads to discard of wheel.
 PEENING INTENSITY
• It’s done using 2mm mild steel balls to relieve the internal stress of the
wheel and to increase the toughness of the wheel.
• The balls strike the wheel with high speeds reliving it of internal stresses.
 HUB BORING
• Hub boring is done using a CNC machine the wheel are made horizontal
and fed into the machine where a cutter present bores the hub to the
required diameter if needed.
 UTILITY
ROAD TRANSPOT SHOP
• It maintains and repairs the vehicles used in the plant particularly the
Forklifts. There were two forklifts used Voltas 3T and Voltas 10T with load
bearing capacity of 3 tonnes and 10 tonnes respectively.
 AIR COMPRESSOR STATION
• It supplies compressed air to the plant at a pressure of 6.8 bars and a
temperature of 39 °C with oil pressure of 2.1 bars. There were a total of 6
storage tanks to store the compressed air.
 PUMP HOUSE
• It supplies water to the plant there are a total of 12 pumps.
• 8 for melting shop out of which 3 are main for cold water and 3 are main
for hot water with 1 standby each.
• 2 are for WFPS both of cold water.
• 2 for potable water.
 COOLING TOWER
• It’s a long horizontal structure about 2 storeys high. Hot water flows from
the top of the tower to the bottom cooling by flow of air through the
tower.
 WATER SOFTENING PLANT
• It is used to soften water using brine.
• There were two filters a reciprocating compressor and loads of brine.
OXYGEN STORAGE
• Oxygen is stored as liquid in large cylinders, compressed using
compressors. There are 4 cylinders of 20,000 l capacity and pressure of 22
bars.
 PLANT CARE SHOP
• Plant care shop helps in maintenance of the machines in the plant. It
provides and makes spares for the machines.
 DEFECTS IN CASTED WHEELS
• Hollow face hub – The hub becomes hollow due to less metal flow to that
region.
• Fin – Overflow of molten metal between cope and drag leads to formation
of fins along the periphery.
• Pocker – A large amount of pores are present on the wheel due to
improper cleaning of cope and drag.
• Runback – Less amount of molten metal reaches the mould cavity leading
to improperly casted wheel.
 SUGGESTIONS
• Since the testing of composition of molten metal is done outside the furnace
once the metal is poured in ladle and sometimes the molten metal needs to
be charged into the furnace again to get the required composition. This
wastes a lot of time. We can do real time testing by developing a system
using ‘Electrochemical Sensors’. Ref -
https://www.tms.org/pubs/journals/jom/0010/fergus/fergus-0010.html
• Lifting the ladle filled with molten metal with EOT crane to place it in the
pouring section can be dangerous, instead of that a system can be designed
to transport the ladle from the bottom itself to the pouring crane.
• Manual knocking down of risers is not very efficient, instead a machine can
be designed to knock down the risers after splitting.
• Most of the exhaust from the EAF comes out directly through the shed
instead of going into the chimney through the filters. So draught fans can be
installed to push this exhaust gas into the filter to reduce air pollution from
the plant.