Yelahanka-based Rail Wheel Factory steps up production to meet Make-in-India targets
By Arun Kumar Das
Bengaluru, Aug 18 (BVI) Casting a wheel of a train every two minutes is a record and this has been achieved by the government-run Rail Wheel Factory (RWF) located in Yelahanka in Karnataka as it steps up efforts to contribute better to the ‘Make-in-India’ programme.
The 2300-strong workforce in RWF is also working round-the-clock to roll out an axle every four-and-a-half minutes and a wheel set is assembled every four minutes for train operation.
Wheels and axles produced here are being used in wagons, locos and coaches across the rail network in the country, said Chief Mechanical Engineer Govind Pande.
Established in 1984, this Rail Wheel Factory (earlier Wheel and Axle Plant) located on the outskirts of Benguluru has grown to manufacture various types of wheels and axles for wagons, suburban trains, Kolkata Metro and others to fulfill rail sector demands.
The raw materials used for manufacturing wheels, axles and wheel sets under a single roof, the RWF, is using the recycled materials only, a unique feature strengthening the green initiative in the rail industry.
The condemned wheels, axles, rails, wagons, coaches and other railways related materials are recycled and used for manufacturing wheels, said Pande and added “Generally we receive 1 lakh tons of scrap out of which we produce 2 lakh units here every year.”
The entire plant is run on PNG, another environmentally-friendly measure to keep the emission level under check.
The plant has the capacity to manufacture 1,90,000 wheels, 1,12,500 axles, and 1,10,000 wheel sets.
RWF manufactures cast steel wheels with diameters ranging from 725mm to 1100mm. The manufacturing is done on a numerically controlled automatic assembly line with minimum human intervention. The wheels are subjected to extensive and stringent quality control at all stages.
The factory has facilities for forging, heat treatment, proof and finish machining of axles. The diameter of these axles is in the range of 105 to 287mm and length 800 to 2600mm.
The axles are forged from the pre-cast blooms of desired specification and length and machined to accuracy with both internal and external flaw detection systems.
Blooms are checked for chemical composition and micro/macro properties before they are taken up for forging.
Wheel Set Assembly:
RWF has a state-of-the-art wheel set assembly complex consisting of auto axle measuring units, precision borers and 300T mounting press.
Assembly of wheels to axle can be achieved to precise preset limits of interference, mounting rates and dimensional tolerances. Wheelset is pressed every 4 minutes.
RWF manufactures 17 types of Wheels, 40 types of Axles and 9 types of Wheelsets. (BVI)
