APPLICATIONS
PRODUCTSSOLUTIONS
WE DEVELOP ADVANCED STEEL GRADES FOR SOLID, SUSTAINABLY-MANUFACTURED WHEELSETS
At Lucchini RS, we are proud to raise a bar of railway safety and sustainability starting from the wheel. Our product design, material innovation, engineering, AI-powered services, and lean manufacturing are managed by highly skilled and motivated people that contribute to the future of transportation one wheelset at a time.
OUR FOCUS
IMPROVED
SAFETY
EXTENDED
PRODUCT LIFE
COMPETITIVE
PRICES
LOW MAINTENANCE COSTS
QUALITY BEGINS WITH STEEL
The element iron (Fe) is one of the most abundant on earth, but it goes a long way before it becomes steel we use for our wheels, wheelsets, and axles. Starting from the ongoing improvement of the chemical composition of the metal itself to the introduction of innovation across heat treatment stages, every product we manufacture is backed up by our quality seal. Our 160 years of steel expertise and manufacturing know-how allow us to create the best wheelsets for specific applications and environmental conditions rather than sell pre-made solutions. Doing so guarantees high wear, high toughness, and extended time between reprofiling for every one of our products.
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MATERIAL DESIGN
VS MATERIAL SELECTION
It is common to have a Material Selection as the last step of the design process. Once the product dimensions and requirements are identified, the standard, cheapest material is selected.
At Lucchini RS, Material Design becomes a starting point and an integral part of the engineering process. We start with the objectives that must be solved and see design as the complex relationships between a product’s shape, material properties, and manufacturing procedures. With many innovative and upgraded steels created, we can rightly say that we don’t just customize the product’s design; we customize its properties as well.
EXTENDING LIFE OF A WHEEL
In a never-ending search of a tougher, lighter, more durable wheel, Lucchini RS has studied the complex contact mechanics and damage mechanisms that impact railway wheels daily. Having conducted hundreds of thousands of examinations over the years, we’ve identified the Four biggest Destructive Forces of the wheel that can act individually or overlap. Then we’ve developed solutions to tackle each one of them.
“Clean and Dry” contact, without sand, water or heat
This is the basis of all wheel-rail damage mechanisms, as “clean and dry” contact is linked to such issues as “low cycle fatigue, elastic and plastic shakedown, and ratcheting”.
Contact with a solid contaminant in dry conditions (i.e. sand)
Solid dry contaminants are responsible for increasing the delamination wear of the wheels and wheel surface cracking caused by a fracture process.
Contact with a liquid contaminant (i.e. water)
Liquid contaminant, including water, snow, or autumn leaf mash are common problems that can decreased adhesion levels and increased surface creepage of the wheel.
Thermal contact generated by brake shoes
The brake thermal energy of the shoe, generated within the wheel-rail contact, creates a “thin surface layer” of permanent plastic deformation and causes thermal alteration (T-WEL) during the rotation of the wheel.
Learn more on LRS TECHNO 10 and LRS TECHNO 13
THE ART OF ENGINEERING THE “PERFECT” STEEL
Lucchini RS has a dedicated team of metallurgists and engineers that designs and develops advanced steel grades, continuously upgrading their current properties. The finished wheels, axles, and wheelsets are then tested in an independent Lab to prove their superior safety and total in-service life and put reduced wear and rolling contact fatigue in concrete numbers.
Widely popular for higher-duty applications, UpLos® wheels demonstrate significant improvements in wear, RCF, and OOR resistance. UpLos® steel grades are the improvement of existing steel grades, obtained in the respect of EN/AAR standard specifications.
With over 28.000 wheels in service rolling for over 140k km every year, SuperLos® made a name for themselves, especially for performing in strong environmental and loading conditions. Their lightweight design is matched by high toughness in low temperatures and superior resistance to wear and Rolling Contact Fatigue without the adverse effects on rails, making it Lucchini RS the most popular wheel for a wide range of applications, especially for high-speed service.
This steel has been developed specifically for mountain applications, as the name implies. It has improved wear and RCF resistance even within extremely low temperatures and strong loading conditions.
To support the rapid railway expansion in the desert and hot, dry climates, Lucchini RS has developed SandLos® family grades. These steels have been engineered to protect wheelsets from wear and “delamination effects” (when the sand particles under pressure propagate under the “surface layer,” causing wheelset failure).
Designed specifically for the tread-braked wheels, HyperLos® steel is in high demand for freight wagons and high-speed trains. This innovative steel alloy has been proven to withstand cyclic thermo-mechanical stresses caused by the vehicle’s downhill containment braking. It is shown to improve wear and Rolling Contact Fatigue resistance and delay local thermal alterations.
FORGED IN NATURE
Our Factory is situated in the heart of Northern Italy, surrounded by mountains and blue waters of the Iseo Lake. Every day we are reminded of nature’s pristine beauty and fragility and our responsibility to protect it for future generations.
Driven by the goal to reduce our carbon footprint, save energy and natural alloy resources, we’ve developed GREEN ID. Green ID is the innovative solution to provide the real carbon footprint of our products “from cradle to cradle”. Through a science-based tool that meets international recognised standard, Lucchini RS is able to monitor, quantify, report the emissions actually associated with its products. Putting the real CO2 impact of our products and components in numbers easy to understand allows us to act upon our choices, adjust and accelerate environmental initiatives, playing a concrete role to protect and save our environment.
