EUROPEAN STEEL TECHNOLOGY AND APPLICATION DAYS 2017 - ESTAD 2017

In the world, the rail production is on a growing trend as a consequence of the market interest to high-speed and heavy-haul transports. A confirmation to this come from the main international standards having been up-to-dated or re-issued after 2010, in USA, Europe, Russia, India and China. In 2014, the rail production in the world was approximately 12 million tons (Mt), of which 8 were produced in plants commissioned after 2010. Head-hardened rails account for some 1.2 Mt, with its growth until 2025 expected to be in double-digit range. Modern rolling mills for rails and sections must achieve high quality and productivity levels, so to obtain the required efficiency and flexibility for a cost-effective operation. The latest generation installations (eg. ARBZ in Kazakhstan) incorporate and integrate the most recent advances of process, equipment and control system. They consist of mechatronical systems which can consistently repeat the transformation processes, under the automated control of the production route. They present several advantages in terms of product quality, productivity, flexibility, energy and media consumption. This article describes the main innovations introduced by Primetals Technologies for the production of rails, bringing as example the ARBZ section and rail mill in Kazakhstan.