Aluminum profiles for rail vehicles

The density of aluminum is about 1/3 of that of steel, which can increase the weight reduction of vehicle components to 50% (under the condition that the strength of the replaced steel is equivalent to that of the aluminum alloy), by adding appropriate alloying elements, combined with appropriate treatment conditions Good strength properties can be obtained, and since the surface of aluminum is easily oxidized to form a dense and stable oxide film, it has good corrosion resistance. Aluminum also has the advantages of good processability, good shock absorption, and low life cycle cost.

The speed of most high-speed railway passenger cars is between 200-300 kilometers per hour, and a few trains are faster, which puts forward high requirements on the body manufacturing process and material selection. In order to adapt to the high-speed operation of trains, Bombardier, Alstom, Siemens, Kawasaki and other companies pay special attention to the lightweight of passenger car structures, and widely use aluminum profiles for rail vehicles to manufacture passenger car bodies to reduce their own weight.

Japan, France, and Germany have maintained their leadership in the development of high-speed railways. The Japanese Shinkansen high-speed EMUs, the German ICE series high-speed EMUs, and the French TGV double-deck high-speed EMUs all use aluminum alloy bodies, which represent the most advanced and safest high-speed trains at present.

When aluminum is used in the design of rail vehicle body, it must meet the requirements of strength, stiffness and fatigue strength, and also consider the feasibility of welding and processing in the manufacturing process. At present, 6000 and 7000 series aluminum alloy materials are generally used in the design of aluminum alloy car body. Aluminum profiles for rail vehicles floor and floor side beams, side walls, roofs, and end walls all use 6000 series aluminum alloy profiles, while 7000 series 7005 aluminum alloy profiles are used for traction beams, sleepers, and buffer beams. In order to reduce the number of car body welding, improve the manufacturing efficiency and meet the needs of high-speed operation of vehicles, there are strict requirements on the mechanical properties and cross-sectional area of large-section hollow aluminum alloy profiles for car bodies (refer to the German DIN standard), and their mechanical performance requirements It exceeds 30% of ordinary aluminum alloy profiles; and can be extruded into hollow, thin-walled and ultra-wide (eg:> 500mm), long (30m - 60m) aluminum profiles.