A complete analysis of train axle boxes: structure, function and axle temperature detection technology

What is an axle box? Now, we all know that the car moves forward by the wheels. There are many kinds of wheels; some are wheelbarrows, some are two-wheeled vehicles, and there are also three-wheeled vehicles, and the wheels of trains are more.

The Structure of Axle Box

If a car has more than two wheels, it will use a “stick” to string the wheels on both sides together to keep the car balanced and move forward quickly. Then, the “stick” used is the axle. The axle of the train is usually made of alloy steel and stainless steel. This material has high strength, corrosion resistance and wear resistance, which can ensure that the train remains stable when running at high speed and can withstand long-term use and wear.

Then, there is another component between the wheels on both sides for the axle. This is called a bearing. Its main function is to support the mechanical rotating body and reduce the friction coefficient during movement. Bearings are divided into: 1. Sliding bearings. Sliding bearings do not have inner and outer rings, and there are no rolling elements. They are generally made of wear-resistant materials and are often used in mechanical parts such as low speed and light load. For example, the wheelbarrow used in ancient times is a typical sliding bearing. 2. Joint bearings refer to bearings with spherical sliding contact surfaces, such as ball and socket joints, which are mainly used for swinging, tilting and rotating body movements. 3. Rolling bearings are the most commonly used in modern vehicles. They convert the sliding friction between the running shaft and the shaft seat into rolling friction. They are generally composed of four parts: inner ring, outer ring, rolling element and cage. Lubricant is also the fifth largest part of the bearing, which mainly plays the role of lubrication, cooling and cleaning. We often see thick oil coating on the bearings on trains.

Rolling bearings were used relatively late on Chinese railway freight cars and were only promoted in about 1978. Friends who like trains will also find that general bearings and axles will leak out, but it is obviously inappropriate for our trains to be exposed like this for long-distance transportation, so there must be a device to protect them, that is the axle box. It can be generally understood as a bearing box, which is exclusive to trains. It is a component that bears loads and stores axle oil and is used to accommodate axle diameters and other parts.

Axle Temperature Detection Technology

Even though there are so many friction-reducing devices on the train, the train is still subject to friction when it is running for a long time and under high load, especially when the railway freight train is running for a long time, over a long distance and in a bad environment. Since friction generates heat, the heating of the bearing is also one of the main threats to the train during operation. How to detect excessive bearing temperature in a high-speed train has become a top priority. At first, people used their hands and eyes to see if there was a hot axle, but this was very inefficient and not accurate enough. So, a set of devices that use infrared devices to detect the axle temperature of a moving train was slowly invented which is the infrared axle temperature detection device known to many railway workers. It is also called a large “thermometer” by us railway workers, and its principle is the same as the point temperature gun we use.

China’s infrared axle temperature detection equipment has been developed since the 1950s, from imports to self-development, from the first generation to the current fourth generation. Axle temperature detection is becoming more and more sophisticated, and the equipment is becoming more and more miniaturized.

Supplier

Luoyang Fonyo Heavy Industries Co., Ltd,founded in 1998,is a manufacturer in cast railway parts.Our factory covers an area of 72,600㎡, with more than 300 employees, 32 technicians, including 5 senior engineers, 11 assistant engineers, and 16 technicians.Our production capacity is 30,000 tons per year. Currently, we mainly produce casting, machining, and assembly for locomotive,railcar,high-speed trains, mining equipment,wind power,etc.Our products have been exported to Russia, the United States, Germany, Argentina, Japan, France, South Africa,Italy and other countries.
Contact: Stella Liu
Email:sales@railwaypart.com
Mobile:+8615515351287