Vladimir State University named after Alexander and Nikolay Stoletovs (VlSU) (Vladimir, Russia)

A. B. Lyukhter, Cand. Eng., Associate Prof., Director of the Scientific and Educational Center for the Introduction of Laser Technologies, 3699137@mail.ru

Vladimir State University named after Alexander and Nikolay Stoletovs (VlSU) (Vladimir, Russia)¹ ; Vladimir Engineering Center for the Application of Laser Technologies in Mechanical Engineering at VlSU (Vladimir, Russia)²
A. V. Zavitkov, Assistant Prof. of the Dept. of Heat Engines and Electrical Installations, Head of the Design and Technology Dept. of the Engineering Center^{1, 2}, vip.zavitkov@mail.ru

N. A. Markov, Assistant of the Dept. of Heat and Gas Supply, Ventilation and Hydraulics, Engineer of the Experimental Production of the Scientific and Educational Center for the Introduction of Laser Technologies^{1, 2}, mnikita.markovm@gmail.com

Russian Railways (OJSC RZhD), Department of Technical Policy (Moscow, Russia)

A. G. Akopian, Deputy Head of the Technical Policy Dept., akopian-rzd@yandex.ru

Railway Research Institute of JSC Russian Railways (VNIIZhT) (Moscow, Russia)

A. I. Nikolin, Cand. Eng., Director of the Scientific Certification Center “Welding” of the Scientific Center “Infrastructure”, nikolin.arkady@vniizht.ru

The paper considers a method for repairing a rail track with wear defects acquired during long-term operation of a railway transport. Existing defects significantly reduce the carrying capacity of the railway section and affect the reliability and safety of the operation of elements of the upper structure of the railway track. The use of existing traditional repair methods has technological limitations. Experimental technology for repairing the rail defects is carried out under stationary conditions. The purpose of the work is to create a coating that meets the requirements of the regulatory documentation of Russian Railways (OJSC RZhD), and ensures the possibility of such work in the field conditions in limited time intervals between train movements (~40 min). The article presents the results of metallographic analysis and cyclic tests of the experimental samples of railway rails made of 76KhF steel category DT350 with a cladded coating by laser powder cladding. The quality assessment is carried out according to the following criteria: the absence of the defects such as pores, shrinkage cavities and cracks; the compliance of the metal hardness values with the operational requirements. The resulting cladded layer eliminates the risk of formation of the structures that can lead to a brittle destruction of the material, while meeting the established operational technical requirements, such as required strength, hardness and wear resistance, minimal thermal deformation and mechanical properties for the railway rails. Based on the study results, the proposed repair method enhances the feasibility of implementing this technology within Russian Railways (OJSC RZhD) infrastructure. It facilitates the elimination of defects up to 350 mm in length and 15 mm in depth across the entire rail head, achieving this under field conditions and within a constrained time interval.

This research is carried out under the order of Russian Railways (OJSC RZhD).
The research was carried out within the state assignment in the field of scientific activity of the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation (theme FZUN-2024-0004, state assignment of the VlSU).

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