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2025/6/3

Steel Encyclopedia - Fundamentals of Rail Steel: Modern Steel Rail Production Process

To meet the development requirements of railway high-speed modernization, the comprehensive performance standards for steel rails have become increasingly stringent, driving continuous advancements in steel rail production processes. Currently, there are two primary production modes: the long-process route using molten iron as raw material and the short-process route utilizing scrap steel. 1.Long-Process Route This method begins with iron ore to produce sintered and pelletized feedstocks. The materials are then smelted in a blast furnace to generate molten iron, which undergoes pretreatment (dephosphorization, desulfurization, and desiliconization) before being transferred to a top-bottom combined blowing converter for refining. Subsequent ladle refining and vacuum degassing processes ensure precise control of composition, harmful gases, and inclusions. The molten steel is continuously cast into billets of specified dimensions. These billets are reheated to rolling temperatures in a walking beam furnace, shaped into blooms via a breakdown mill, and further rolled into final rail profiles using universal roughing and finishing mills. Post-rolling steps include online marking, head cropping, pre-bending on cooling beds, and cooling below 60°C. The cooled rails undergo straightening via horizontal/vertical roller systems before non-destructive testing. Qualified rails proceed to end processes such as end milling, drilling, manual inspection, and stacking. 2.Short-Process Route This approach employs scrap steel as raw material. After initial melting in an electric arc furnace (EAF), the steel undergoes secondary refining in an LF ladle refining furnace and degassing in VD/RH vacuum degassing units. It is then continuously cast into required billet dimensions. Subsequent rolling, precision finishing, and inspection processes mirror those of the long-process route. 3.Core Principles Both processes share critical quality-enhancing steps — refining, degassing, continuous casting, and universal mill rolling — reflecting the "three essential precision principles" of rail production: precision refining, precision rolling, and precision finishing. These methodologies ensure steel rails with accurate cross-sectional dimensions and superior internal quality.

2025/5/26

Steel Encyclopedia - Fundamentals of Rail Steel: Classification and Technical Analysis of Steel Rails

Part 2: Fundamentals of Rail Steel–Classification and Technical Analysis of Steel Rails 1. Classification of Steel Rails (1). By Steel Type High-quality carbon rails: C, Mn for enhancing strength and toughness, such as U74, U71Mn Alloy rails: V, Ti, Cr, Mo, etc., such as U76ReNb, U75V, U76CrRe Heat-treated rails: Pearlite structure, high strength and high toughness (2). By Mechanical Properties Common rails: Yield strength ≥ 800 MPa High-strength rails: Yield strength ≥ 900 MPa Wear-resistant rails: Yield strength ≥ 1100 MPa (3). By Usage Light rails: Used in mining railways Heavy rails: Used in passenger and freight railways Suspended rails: For cranes, factory cranes (belonging to heavy rails) 2. Light Rails (1). Material Specifications of Light Rails Material: Q235B, carbon steel (50Q, 55Q), low alloy steel; Specification: 30kg/m, 24kg/m, 22kg/m, 18kg/m, 15kg/m, 12kg/m, 9kg/m, 8kg/m. 3. Heavy Rails (1). Definition and Usage of Heavy Rails Rails with a nominal weight of more than 30kg per meter (33 - 50kg/m). Both railway rails and crane rails belong to heavy rails. Railway rails: Used for laying railways, required to withstand the pressure, impact load and friction during train operation, requiring sufficient strength and certain toughness. The quality is strictly controlled, in addition to ensuring the chemical composition, it also requires inspection of mechanical properties, drop hammer test and acid immersion low-magnification structure, etc. (2). Material Specifications of Heavy Rails Material: 45MN, 50MN, 55MN, U71MN; Specification: 50kg/m, 43kg/m, 38kg/m, 33kg/m, UIC 60kg/m railway rail cross-section diagram China 75kg/m railway rail cross-section diagram UIC60kg/m Steel Rail Cross-Sectional Diagram 4. Crane Rails (1). Definition and Usage of Crane Rails Cranes rails: Also known as crane rails, with a lower height, larger head width and waist thickness dimensions, only requiring inspection of chemical composition and yield strength. Used for laying crane greater and smaller vehicle tracks. Rails with a nominal weight of 70 - 120kg/m per meter. (2). Material Specifications of Crane Rails Material: U71MN, U75V; Specification: QU70 kg/m, QU80 kg/m, QU100 kg/m, QU120 kg/m 45MN.

2025/5/19

Steel Encyclopedia - Fundamentals of Rail Steel: Definition and Historical Evolution of Steel Rails

Part 1: Fundamentals of Rail Steel: Definition and Historical Evolution of Steel Rails 1. Definition of Rails Rails are the main components of railway tracks. Their functions include guiding the wheels of locomotives and rolling stock forward, bearing the tremendous pressure exerted by the wheels, and transmitting this pressure to the sleepers. Rails must provide a continuous, smooth rolling surface with minimal resistance for the wheels. Rails primarily bear the pressure and impact loads from locomotives and rolling stock. Therefore, they must possess sufficient strength, hardness, and a certain degree of toughness. 2. Brief History of Global Steel Rail Development (1). From ancient times to the early 19th century In ancient Europe, there were stone tracks. Before the 16th century, four-wheel carriages were commonly used for long-distance transportation. The British determined the wheel spacing to be 143.55 cm, which later became the standard wheel spacing for most countries' railways. With the emergence of iron smelting technology, cast iron tracks and wrought iron tracks replaced wooden tracks, and "railroad" got its name. From 1698 to 1769, steam engines were continuously improved and widely used. In 1803, Trevithick designed a high-pressure steam engine for locomotives, which was the prototype of train locomotives. In 1829, Stephenson invented the "Rocket" steam locomotive, ushering in a new era of railways, but the cast iron tracks were prone to cracking. (2).19th century Material and process improvements: From 1784 to 1824, the iron smelting technology was improved to enhance the toughness of iron. In 1830, the world's first steel rail rolling machine was put into production, and wrought iron fish-belly steel rails were produced. Around 1840, T-shaped steel rails were successfully rolled, and in 1849, the first I-shaped steel was rolled in France. Around 1831, the modern I-shaped rails appeared, and U-shaped rails were eliminated due to usage issues. Production technology innovations: In 1855, Bessemer invented the acidic converter steelmaking method, improving the efficiency of steel rail production. In 1858, the cross-section of steel rails was fixed as an I-shape, weighing 38 kg per meter. In 1879, the alkaline converter steelmaking method could remove harmful impurities, improving the quality, and the rolling machine appeared. In 1865, the United States used the rolling method to produce steel rails, with better quality than the casting method. (3). 20th Century and Beyond Technological Advancements in Production: After the 1950s, technologies such as furnace refining enabled higher levels of steel rail production. Universal rolling mills improved dimensional accuracy and straightness, and automation and computers facilitated development. Development under Heavy and High-Speed Requirements: As train loads and speeds increased, the cross-sectional area and weight of steel rails rose. From 26.6 kg/m in 1865, they have developed to 50 - 75 kg/m in recent years. Due to rail joint issues, seamless tracks emerged, and the standard length of steel rails increased from 25.0m to 100.0m. Performance Enhancement: Since the 1950s, railway development has been rapid. Ordinary carbon steel rails could no longer meet the demands, and alloy steel rails and full-length quenched steel rails emerged. The tensile strength and hardness have significantly increased. Studies have shown that the performance of pearlite steel rails approaches the limit. In the 21st century, research began on bainite steel rails to enhance wear resistance and other properties.

2025/1/22

Saudi customers visited on January 20 to discuss prospects for cooperation in steelmaking projects

On January 20, 2025, the visit of a delegation of Saudi customers left a strong mark in the process of cooperation between SMG GROUP and our customers. On the same day, after the arrival of the Saudi customers, they went straight to the conference room and launched an in-depth discussion on the steelmaking project with our leaders and relevant colleagues. The atmosphere in the meeting room was warm, and the two sides expressed their opinions on multiple dimensions such as steelmaking technical process, cost control and market research. The customers shared their market demand and development plans for steel products in Saudi Arabia and surrounding areas, and highly recognized SMG GROUP's technical accumulation and industry experience in the field of steel making. The leaders and colleagues of our company also introduced the preliminary planning and ideas for the project in detail, and the two sides collided with many inspirations in the communication. After the meeting, in order to further enhance mutual friendship, our leaders sincerely invited customers to dinner. During the dinner, everyone chatted in a relaxed and pleasant atmosphere, which not only deepened the understanding of each other's corporate culture, but also narrowed the distance between the two sides. As the visit is close to the Spring Festival, the customers regrets that they cannot visit the equipment factory. However, the Saudi customers said that the visit was fruitful, and they will visit our company again after the Spring Festival. At that time they will in-depth visit the steelmaking equipment and production plants, and further promote the substantive progress of the cooperation project. It is believed that with the joint efforts of both sides, the cooperation in steelmaking projects will surely achieve fruitful results and achieve a good situation of mutual benefit and win-win.

2024/12/27

Iranian Customers Visit SMG Group to Explore New Opportunities for Cooperation

Recently, SMG Group welcomed a group of important visitors from afar - a business negotiation team from Iran. With strong interest and cooperation sincerity, they set foot in the office of SMG Group and opened a cross-border project exchange trip to draw a blueprint for the future of both sides. With the enthusiasm of all the employees of our company, a group of Iranian customers arrived at our company building on time on the afternoon of December 23. Immediately, the two sides moved to the conference room and officially entered the project negotiation process. In the meeting room, the atmosphere was warm and harmonious. The Iranian customers put forward their project needs and the relevant project questions they wanted to know, and our technical department answered them one by one. The teams of the two sides conducted all-round and in-depth discussions on the project proposed by the Iranian customers. The Iranian customers also shared the characteristics of their domestic market without reservation, which provided us with a valuable basis for further optimization of the technical scheme. In the technical exchange link, SMG Group's technical backbone and the technical experts of Iranian customers launched a fierce collision of thinking. Our leader said in his concluding speech: "The visit of the Iranian customers is the beginning of the fate of the two sides, but also the starting point for creating the future together." We will invest in the cooperation project with the greatest sincerity and the best resources to ensure the smooth progress of the project, achieve mutual benefit and win-win results, and write a new chapter for the friendly economic and trade exchanges between China and Iran." As the meeting drew to a close, the Iranian customer left the company with a satisfied smile and took a photo with the leaders of our company in the company hall.

2024/12/23

The visit of Indian customers for blast furnace project negotiations open new cooperation opportunities

Recently, our company has received a number of important Indian customers, who have come far to discuss the blast furnace project with SMG. Full of enthusiasm and with a high standard of reception, our company warmly welcomes the Indian customer delegation. In order to enhance the Indian customers' intuitive understanding of our blast furnace project and strengthen the cooperation intention of both sides in the steel field, on December 20, our company specially arranged representatives to accompany Indian customers to visit the company's advanced level of blast furnace factory. The purpose of this visit is to allow customers to witness the production and operation process of the blast furnace, and to provide a strong basis and confidence for possible cooperation projects in the future. During the whole visit, India customers made a careful observation around the blast furnace body, and from time to time asked questions about the operating parameters of the blast furnace, the operation stability of the equipment and the gas recovery and utilization, and our representatives gave professional and detailed answers. Indian customers have always maintained a high degree of enthusiasm and focus, and actively interact with our representatives. Through field visits and in-depth exchanges, the Indian customers not only fully understand the strength and advantages of our company in the blast furnace projects, but also establish a closer communication bridge for the two sides and lay a solid foundation for future cooperation. In the project negotiation meeting on the second day, our blast furnace team introduced the advanced technology and efficient process flow of the blast furnace project in detail. The Indian customers showed strong interest in the project, and the two sides had in-depth and constructive exchanges and discussions on technical details, project implementation plan, quality assurance system and other aspects. The visit of the Indian customers not only demonstrates our professional strength and rich experience in the field of blast furnace projects, but also lays a solid foundation for the cooperation between the two sides to jointly explore the Indian market. We firmly believe that through this negotiation, mutually beneficial and win-win cooperation results will be reached, and enterprises of both sides will take a more solid step in the internationalization process of the steel industry. Subsequently, the two sides will continue to maintain close communication, accelerate the process of project cooperation, and jointly create a new glory of the steel industry. On the occasion of parting, the Indian customer expressed his sincere thanks for the warm hospitality of our company and took a photo with our leaders in the front office of the company.

2024/10/31

Seek new cooperation opportunities to explore the steel project with clients from North Macedonia

On October 23, 2024, a group of significant customers from North Macedonia arrived at the office of SMG Group and opened a trip of in-depth exchange and cooperation on the section steel project. Our company attaches great importance to this visit and makes careful preparations to further strengthen the cooperation between the two sides in the field of section steel and jointly open up new opportunities in the market of North Macedonia. On the same day, the team of customers held a technical seminar with the technical department of our company, and the technical issues related to the production of section steel were discussed in depth and detail. At the meeting, our technical team introduced the production technology of section steel in detail, showing our technical strength and professional knowledge in the iron & steel industry. The customers also put forward a series of questions about product performance, technical specifications and tailor-made needs, and technicians from both sides had one-to-one answers and exchanges, and the atmosphere was warm and harmonious. Through this meeting, the two sides reached a number of consensus at the technical level, laying a solid foundation for follow-up cooperation. On October 24, in order to let customers more intuitively understand the equipment manufacturing process of section production, our company sent representatives to lead customers to Fuzhou factory for a field visit. In the factory, the customers had a close look at the manufacturing process and advanced technology of steel production equipment, from raw material processing to parts assembly, and then to the whole machine debugging, each link gives customers a deeper understanding and confidence in the quality and production capacity of section production equipment. The visit of the delegation of North Macedonian customers not only deepened the mutual understanding and trust between the two sides, but also pointed out the direction for the cooperation between the two sides in the section project. Through face-to-face communication and field visits, the two sides have deepened their understanding of each other and have a clearer understanding of the strength of the two sides. It is expected that a substantive cooperation agreement will be signed in the near future to jointly promote the development of the shaped steel project and achieve a win-win situation. In the future, SMG Group will continue to uphold the concept of open cooperation, innovation and development, constantly improve the technical level and service quality, actively expand the international market, and work with more international customers to create brilliant.

2024/10/9

After the National Day Holiday, Ethiopian Customers Came to SMG Group to Discuss Iron & Steel Project

In the festive atmosphere of the National Day holiday, SMG Group welcomed a delegation of Ethiopian customers from afar, and the two sides had in-depth discussions on the projects that had been discussed before. This visit is not only a recognition of the strength of SMG, but also an important opportunity for cooperation and exchange between enterprises of the two countries, and a wonderful prelude to the journey of the two sides to work together. In the morning, the Ethiopian customers arrived at the company building. After a short and warm welcome ceremony, the two sides moved to the conference room to officially open the project negotiation. At the beginning of the meeting, the leaders of SMG Group delivered a warm welcome speech, expressing their sincere expectations and great importance to the cooperation with Ethiopian customers, and stressing the company's development vision in the international market and the firm determination to cooperate with Ethiopian partners. The visit was successfully concluded in a friendly and positive atmosphere. Both sides expressed that they will continue to strengthen communication and exchanges, promote the early implementation of cooperation projects, and contribute to the economic development of both sides. The Ethiopian customers said that through the field visit and in-depth exchanges, they fully felt the professional strength and sincere attitude of our company, and was full of confidence in the cooperation project. In the future, the teams of the two sides will maintain close communication, accelerate the cooperation process, so that the common vision will become a reality at an early date, and join hands to march towards a more brilliant tomorrow.

2024/7/10

Our delegation left for Ethiopia to seek new opportunities for cooperation

Our company started a business trip to Ethiopia Under the context of globalization, SMG Group actively expands international cooperation to seek a broader market and deeper partnership. Today, the delegation sent by SMG officially left for Ethiopia, in order to establish closer business ties with local customers. This morning, the delegation of SMG Group embarked on a business trip to Ethiopia. The delegation will conduct a series of business meetings and site visits with customers in Ethiopia. During the visit for a week, the delegation plans to have in-depth exchanges with a number of Ethiopian enterprises to explore cooperation opportunities in the fields of trade, investment and technical cooperation. In addition, the delegation will visit local project sites to better understand the market environment and customer needs in Ethiopia. This visit is not only part of our internationalization strategy, but also an important step in our active expansion into emerging markets. SMG has been committed to enhance its competitiveness through international cooperation, and provide customers with more diversified products and services. Several customers from Ethiopia warmly welcomed the visit of our delegation and conducted detailed exchanges and discussions on projects that the two sides could only discuss online before. Our company is full of expectations for this trip to Ethiopia, and we believe that through the joint efforts of both sides, we can build a bridge of trust between us and our customers, so as to achieve mutual benefit and win-win situation, and jointly open a new chapter of cooperation.