Austempered Cast Iron: an alternative for brake shoe materials

Austempered cast irons have emerged in cast iron family during recent decades. Due to unique properties, many conventional materials in industry have been replaced by austempered irons, particularly applications where wear resistance is of great importance. Brake shoe parts in railway fleet, already made of phosphorus cast iron, were adopted as main concern of this investigation. In this respect, compacted and flake graphite irons were chosen; proper alloy design and appropriate casting and austempering processes were fulfilled, regarding to brake shoe geometry and working conditions. The capabilities of newly replaced parts were verified through relevant examinations. Having consistent results, both laboratory and field tests revealed enhanced performance and remarkable longer lives of austempered parts.

Austempered Cast Iron: an alternative for brake shoe materials Keywords:

Railway Brake Shoe , Austempered Cast Iron , Wear Resistance