S.C. Railway Wagon Workshop
● Investigated IRSA-600 brake hangers used for break rigging of Freight stock in Indian Railways.
● Determined the critical zones of mechanical failure with ANSYS simulation.
● Suggested improvements in manufacturing and welding techniques to improve efficiency.
Findings
● The cracks initiate at the bush weld and propagate to breakage.
● The failure of the inner brake hanger is 80% of the total failure.
● The lever arm's breakage is attributed to bainite and martensite in heat-affected areas due to improper welding execution.
● It is observed that the breakage occurs from the heat-affected zone due to excessive heat generated during the welding process.
Improvements
● Eliminating the implementation of the welding and manufacturing of the hanger as a single-piece casting component has seen a reduction in maximum stress from 200Mpa to 64.6 Mpa.
● Annealing the component would replace the formation of Martensite and Bainite with Pearlite, reducing overall brittleness.
