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Diamond crossings
Lap Beam Manganese Diamond Crossing AMS
Lap Beam Manganese Diamond Crossings AMS (Austenitic Manganese Steel) are used for crossing angles near 90°. They are designed with or without flange bearing. This design substitutes former designs with cast or bolted inserts which required patterns for every different crossing angle.
The diamond crossing consists of 4 individual blocks made from high-manganese steel which are machined according to the crossing angle (overlapping at the crossing knots). At the ends, closure rails are flash-butt welded to the blocks using VAE's worldwide patented and proven intermediate piece welding technique. The blocks are mounted and fastened to one or more base plates using elastic fastening elements and corresponding anti-creep devices.
Advantages
- Can be thermit welded into the track (no fishplated joints, low noise and vibration emissions)
- Requires low maintenance because boltless design
- Excellent wear resistance due to work hardening process of AMS during operation -> long service life
- Optimized wheel transfer
- Guaranteed exchangeability
- Explosive Depth Hardening EDH is possible
- Built-up and repair welding without preheating possible in the track
- Suitable for all types of rail fastenings
- Reduced maintenance, particularly in case of high axle loads because the running surface can be pre-strengthened
Technical characteristics:
| Material grades: Crossings | High-manganese steel as per UIC 866 |
| Closure rails | Optionally, S900 as per UIC 860 and 260 as per CEN or S900A head-hardened (HSH) Special grades on request |
Diamond Crossing with Cast Manganese Crossings (Frogs)
The diamond crossing consists of 4 centre-block crossings CENTRO MN13, made from austenitic high-manganese steel (AMS) with welded-on closure rails and the corresponding check rails.
The complete central part of the crossing is cast in one block from high-manganese steel. At the four ends, closure rails are flash-butt welded to the blocks using VAE's wordwide patented and proven procedure (intermediate piece welding).
On these welds geometrical tests, visual tests (VT) and ultrasonic tests (UT) are performed as well as a dye penetration test (PT). The bearing surfaces (bearing of the plates) and the complete running and head surfaces are machined.
