Innovation: a key role for ArcelorMittal
With the permanent evolution in the rail sector, ArcelorMittal Europe – Long Products Rails & Special sections, in its continuous development, has reinforced the improvements of its product range through the development of new types of rails, the optimisation of its manufacturing process and of its welding techniques. The need for fast and reliable transport has encouraged R&D in this sector, making it possible to overcome challenges unimaginable a few years ago.
To satisfy customers’ ever increasing requirements, ArcelorMittal created a dedicated R&D Rail Unit, in Asturias (Spain), with pilot plants and different prototyping facilities to develop and test new welding techniques, both for rail grades currently in use and for new grades under development which allows to provide customers with prompt, innovative and cost-effective solutions.
The research lines carried out by the group are structured around three main axes:
- the optimisation of the manufacturing process
- new products development
- the implementation of new rail track solutions
The welding pilot plant, the advanced testing and In-use properties testing systems (twin-disk & real size rolling contact fatigue bench), as well as the recent developments of wireless sensors for track monitoring are some examples of the solutions that ArcelorMittal’s R&D Rail Unit is developing through open innovation in collaboration with a network of universities, technology centres and companies from railway sector.
More info: rails.arcelormittal.com
ArcelorMittal is exhibiting at RailTech Europe 2017 on 28, 29 and 30 March in Utrecht (the Netherlands).
