Mills execute all the heavy-duty work. The steel mills also do all the high load uplifts. Most of us know that the pressure and temperature are high at the mills. So, the crane rails might be damaged due to high temperature and pressure. This adverse environment needs continuous welding on crane rails. General crane rails cannot undergo this tremendous pressure. A continuously welded crane rail can take the strain. But, the rail also needs swiftness. So, a continuous crane rail gives both stability and speed. Not only steel mills but every mill has to do high capacity load work. A continuous crane rail is best for heavy mill duties.
Advantages of Continuous Crane Rails for Mill Duty Cranes.
There are several advantages of continuously welded crane rails. They provide smooth travelling. The easy travel gives the benefit of heavy load transport. The advantages of a Continuous Crane Rail are,
- The wheels attached to the crane get damaged from the transportation. Heavy load also exerts pressure on the wheels. So, it is tough to maintain the wheels of the cranes in the mills. A rail track for the crane is the best solution for this problem. The crane rail track provides easy travelling. So, the wheels do not get damaged easily. The crane rail tracks help to extend the life of crane wheels.
- The crane rail track gives a smooth transport path to the mill duty cranes. Most of the time, mill fields are very rough and uneven. So, the cranes travel with many hurdles—many times, an uneven path causes accidents such as falling cranes up-down. But, the rail tracks help the crane in steady transport. It reduces the stress on the runway of the cranes.
- The heat is always high in the mills because of the heavy work environment and other necessary industrial processes. Friction with the crane wheels also exerts heat. So, the metal crane rail tracks can expand or contract at different temperatures. But the joints between the crane rail tracks help in the expansion and contraction.
- Continuous welding is the most important part. The welding provides frictionless smooth travel. The metal does not get damaged easily due to welding. Thus, the crane rail tracks are best when welded continuously.
- The crane with heavy loads in the mills needs much time to travel from one place to another. Moreover, general cranes cannot withstand the pressure of heavy loads during transportation. The steady travelling with the crane rails reduces the time of transportation.
Structure of Continuous Crane Rails For Mill Duty Cranes
The structure of continuous crane rails is very simple. Typically, the crane rails look like rail tracks. But, the structure of crane rails is different from ordinary rail tracks. The crane rails are approximately 20 feet to 30 feet long. The rails have many sections with joints and splices. The engineers prefer carbon and manganese to make crane rails. Each section of crane rails is a maximum of 300 meters long. The crane rails have a large cross-section with high metallurgy. The welding becomes difficult from thickness and metallurgy.
The Processes of Forming Continuous Crane Rails
The engineering of making continuous crane rails is impressive. The making procedure also affects the functionality and place of work. You will know about the different processes of making crane rails in this article. See more of this article to learn more about forming continuous crane rails.
- Welding By Electric Arc: This is a basic level of the welding process. The engineers use manual arc equipment like saws, electrodes, copper moulds, and grinders. At first, they use saws for cutting the ends of the rail in a square shape—the rails weld with the help of a small camber peak. Shrinked liquid weld then covers the rails giving a smooth flat finish. Melted welding fills the joints of the rails. Each side of the crane rails has copper moulds. The slag is then collected by the small gap between the mould and the crane rail. The welding is a few millimetres thick. Then a heat-insulated blanket placed on the top of the rails helps in cooling down the rails.
- Flash butt: Most of the crane rails use a flash butt method of joining crane rails. Engineers around the world are fond of this process. It needs skilled workers and modern technologies. The welding done by the Flash Butt method is expensive but long-lasting and faster than any other method. The welding process includes complicated equipment and complex functionality. Only some special clients can supply the equipment for Flash Butt welding.
- Welding with Thermite: This type of welding for easier joining is elementary. First, heat is given to the ends of the crane rails for melting. It helps to connect with the liquid metal moulds. The metals used in this type of special moulds are aluminium and iron oxides. Thermite welding costs less but gives outstanding operation. But the low point of this type of welding is – the welding is easily damaged or broken—the quality of this is relatively lower than other types of welding.
Disadvantages of Using Continuous Crane Rails For Mills Duty Cranes
You can get the flexibility, smoothness, and long-lasting performance for the mill duty cranes with continuous crane rails. But the maintenance cost is very high for the continuous welding process. If you have a tight budget, continuous crane rails can give you a headache.
