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Alumino Thermic welding

Alumino thermic welding is a process that causes fusion of metals by heating them with superheated molten metal from an alumino thermic reaction between a metal oxide and aluminium. The alumino thermic process is extensively being used world over for joining the ends of the rails. On Indian Railways Alumino thermic welding with short pre-heating process called SKV welding is used for welding of rails of different chemistry and sections.
Table of Contents Alumino Thermic welding Advantages of SKV welding Principles of Thermit Welding and its Formula Thermic reaction: Process of AT welding Reference documents for Quick thermit welding with short pre-heat (SKV process) Thermit Welding Equipment and Accessories Moulds Thermit Portion Inspection of Rails before Welding Preparation of Rail Ends Gap between Rail Ends Preliminary Work Prior to Welding Alignment of Rail Ends Before Welding Fixing of Moulds Luting Preheating Maintenance of Crucible Executing of Welding. Block Period & Train Passing Time Marking of Joints Heat Affected Zone (HAZ) Frequency of In-service Painting Acceptance Tests on Welds Precautions to be taken During SKV Welding Parameters for different gaps of A.T. Welding Techniques Alumino Thermit Welding Dos & Donts LATEST DEVELOPMENTS IN AT WELDING
Advantages of SKV welding

It is possible to do it at site under field constraints with reasonable quality. It is used to weld flash butt panels of 3 rail/ 10 rail/ 20 rail panels into long panels. Most suitable for taking up repair work of fractures and isolated welding. No pressure application is required and needs normal surface preparation compared to other types of weldings.
Principles of Thermit Welding and its Formula Thermic reaction:

Alumino thermic process is based on chemical reaction of iron oxide with aluminium. The reaction is exothermic and is associated with heat* generation. After exothermic reaction lasting for few seconds, approximately equal volumes of molten steel and liquid Al 203 are separated at a temperature of about 2400 0C. Al 203 (slag), being lighter, floats on top of the molten metal. Ferro-manganese is added to the mixture together with pieces of mild steel to control exothermic reaction to match wear resistance of thermit steel to that of the
http://wiki.iricen.gov.in/doku/doku.php?id=at_welding[24-12-2013 12:20:25]
various grades of rail steel to be welded. Fe 203 + 2Al = Al 203 + 2Fe (25000C, 43.2 K Joules).
Process of AT welding
RDSO has issued a Manual for Fusion Welding of Rails by the Alumino- Thermic Process. The alumino thermic process is to apply it for joining two pieces of rail, end to end, by casting molten steel into a refractory mould that has been placed around the spacing between the two rails. The ends of the rail must be straight and the correct welding gap established. The rails must be properly aligned with faces free of rust, dirt & grease. The rails must then be preheated sufficiently to provide conditions for complete fusion between molten steel and the base metal of rails to be welded. Prefabricated moulds are fixed and joints are filled with luting sand. The thermit reaction is carried out in a conical metallic shell lined with magnesite, called crucible, prior to tapping into the moulds. The weld must then be cooled prior to allowing any traffic hydraulic rail tensor if used during the welding.
Reference documents for Quick thermit welding with short pre-heat (SKV process)
The thermit welding with short pre-heat (SKV), despite all the improvements, still requires great care by the welders and supervisors during execution. For executing good quality welds, following documents should be referred to: Indian Railway Standard Specification for fusion welding of rails by Aluminothermic process (IRS-T-19-1994). Manual for fusion welding of rail joints by the alumino thermic process (Printed in Sept.1998), read with C.S.No.1 to 5. Instructions issued from time to time for improving the quality of welds and to contain weld fracture.
Thermit Welding Equipment and Accessories

S.No. Description Quantity Mass Welding Pre-Heating Equipment A1 Air-Petrol pre-hearing 1. Pressure tanks with pressure gauges complete Vaporisers (burner) complete Nozzles prickers Nozzle keys Vaporiser standv 2 Nos. 2 Nos. 1 No. Repair Welding
2. 3. 4. 5.
2 Nos. 4 Nos. 1 No. 1 No.
1 No. 2 Nos. 1 No.
6.
Goose neck attachment to vaporiser
4 Nos.
2 Nos.
A2. Compressed air-petrol pre-heating 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. pressure gauges Torch (burner) complete Torch (burner) keys Torch (burner) stand Goose neck attachment to vaporiser 2 Nos. 2 Nos. 1 No. 2 Nos. 4 Nos. 1 No. 1 No. 1 No. 1 No. 2 Nos.
A3. Oxy-LPG pre-heating 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Oxy-LPG torch (burner) Oxygen cylinder with pressure gauge LPG cylinder with pressure gauge Torch (burner) stand Connecting hose pipe 2 Nos. 2 Nos. 1 No. 2 Nos. 4 Nos. 1 No. 1 No. 1 No. 1 No. 2 Nos.
B Other Equipment 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. Crucible complete Crucible caps Crucible forks Crucible stands Crucible rings Mould pressure (clamp) Cleaning rod round Tapping rod Straight edge 1m long Straight edge 10cm long Aluminium steel rod for thermal plugging Leather washers for pump Gap gauges and height gauge Filler gauge Tools for punching the marking Mould shoes Stop Watches 2 Nos. 2 Nos. 2 Nos. 2 Nos. 2 Nos. 2 Sets 2 Nos. 1 No. 2 Nos. 2 Nos. 2 Nos. 4 Nos. 2 Nos. 2 Nos. 2 Sets. 6 Pairs 1 No. 1 No. 1 No. 1 No. 1 No. 1 No. 1 Set 1 No. 1 No. 1 No. 1 No. 2 Nos. 2 Nos. 1 No. 1 No. 1 Set. 2 Pairs 1 No. 1 No.
Pyrometer/ thermal chalk for measurement of 1 No. rail temperature Wooden wedges for rail alignment First aid box filled with medicines,bandages, cotton etc. Mirror 150 X 100 mm with handle Tool box containing : 24 Nos. 1 No.
19. 20.
12 Nos. 1 No.
21. 22.
2 Nos.
1 No.
(i) (ii) (iii) (iv) (v) (vi) (vii) (viii) (ix) (x) (xi) (xii) (xiii)
Hot sets (chisels) (For emergency use only) Funnel tin (for pouring petrol) Adjustable spanner Hammer 1 kg Sledge hammer double panel 5 kg Steel wire brush Blue goggles Paint brush 50 mm Slag container (bowl) Asbestos gloves Hose clips Pliers Rail file 350 x 40 x 6 mm (For emergency use only) Weld trimmer Insulation hood for control cooling (for 110 UTS rail welding) Rail profile guided grinding trolley
2 Nos. 1 No. 1 No. 1 No. 2 Nos. 1 No. 2 Pairs 1 No. 2 Nos. 4 Pairs 4 Nos. 1 No. 4 Nos.
2 Nos. 1 No. 1 No. 1 No. 2 Nos 1 No. 1 Pair 1 No. 1 No. 2 Pairs 4 Nos. 1 No. 2 Nos.
23. 24.
1 No. 1 No.
1 No. 1 No.
25. 26.
1 No.
1 No.
To ensure quality, protective clothing, shoes gear & leather gloves shall be provided
5. Storage, Preservation and Handling of Portions & Moulds The portion being hygroscopic in nature, will have double packing, first in a polythene bag and then in a cloth bag. Damaged/torn polythene bag may result in moist/damp portion and should not be used. Once portion absorbs moisture, the same cannot be removed even by drying as ingredients react chemically. All such portions should not be used for welding. Therefore suitable storage condition for portion & mould to avoid contact from moisture is to be made. These should be stored in water tight stores kept 0.3m away from wall and 0.5m above Ground to avoid ingress of moisture. The acceptance slip for the portion given by the RDSO shall be found inside the bag. RDSOs seal should be available on top of the bag. The portion should conform to IRS-T-19-1994. It should be ensured that the portion to be used must match the rail section, grade of rail and the welding technique. The portion should be poured into the crucible through fingers with a spraying action and striking the crucible wall so that the bottom plugging remains undisturbed After filling, the portion should be heaped at the center of crucible and a small recess made at the top into which the igniter can be placed Portion should not be mixed with any foreign material or any amount of additional portion. The crucible cap should then be placed in position and an igniter (sparkler) hooked on to the crucible cap ready for use.
Particulars of portion contained in the acceptance slip such as Batch No., Portion No., Date of Manufacture, etc. should be recorded in a register kept for this purpose. Moulds shall be handled with due care to avoid any breakage. Shelf life of portions: There is no specific shelf life for portions. It depends on the quality of packing and storage conditions. If packing is intact and there is no entry of moisture, the portion can be used even after a long time. However, if they need to be used beyond two years after the date of manufacturing, following procedure is to be adopted for permitting use of portions. (a) One random sample per batch of 300 or part there of may be drawn from the portions available in stores. (b) The sample shall be tested for reaction test. If reaction is normal, batch represented by the sample can be used without further tests. In case the reaction is found to be quiet or boiling, a test joint should be made from one more sample selected from the batch for conducting Aluminium content test and Load deflection test. (d) The above tests should be conducted at Zonal CMTs organization and / or the Flash Butt Welding Plant. If values obtained in the above tests are within the specified values as given in Para 4.1.3 and 4.2.3.1 of IRS: T-19-94, the batch represented by the sample can be used, otherwise batch should be rejected. (e) Rejected portions are to be disposed-off by igniting five portions at a time in a pit away from the store.
Moulds
Only prefabricated moulds supplied by the portion manufacturer shall be used for welding. Moulds are made by mixing high silica sand to IS: 1987 with sodium silicate to the required consistency, followed by passage of carbon dioxide gas. These prefabricated moulds shall have adequate permeability for escape of mould gases and adequate reinforcement to avoid mould crushing during transportation and welding. Before mounting on the rail ends to be welded, each pair of moulds shall be examined for defects, dampness, cracks, blocked vents, etc., and defective moulds discarded. The prefabricated moulds shall be handled with care, as they are fragile and liable to breakage.
Thermit Portion
Portion is a mixture of different materials when melted forms the material of type rail steel designed for doing one weld. The portion used for welding shall conform to the technical requirements as mentioned in IRS : T-19-1994. The suitability of the Portion for the welding process in respect of the type and section of rails to be welded shall be ensured before commencing welding. Different main ingredients used in manufacture of AT portion are o Mill scales o Aluminum o Ferro-manganese
o Steel chips o Silicon carbide o Ferro vanadium o Flour spar The proportion and quantity of the same depends upon the type of rail section and type of welding and is the trade secrete of the manufacturing company. Only RDSO certified/passed portions should be used for welding. In India, though many labour contracting firms are approved by RDSO for executing AT welding with portion and technique developed by Thermit Portion Plant, N. Railway, Luknow, only 4 firms are approved for manufacturing of portions and execution of welding. They are India Thermit Corporation Ltd., Kanpur. Harshad Thermit Industries, Raipur. Sagar Electrical and General Industries, Hyderabad. Raybon Metals Private Limited, Bilaspur.
Inspection of Rails before Welding

It should be ensured that the end bends of rails are within +0.5mm, -0mm in vertical and +/_ 0.5mm in lateral direction with 1m straight edge. The new rails/ Old rails to be welded shall conform to the tolerances specified in Table 1 and Table 2 of Manual for thermit welding Old rails : o Rails older than 50 years should not be welded. o Rails should be free from corrosion, excessive scabbing, wheel burns, and corrugations. o Lateral wear on rail head should not be greater than 6mm. o The ends should be cropped to eliminate fish bolt holes. o If fish bolt holes are not present, the ends should preferably be cropped for a minimum of distance150mm. o Rails should be cut using sawing/ abrasive rail cutter only. o Rails should be got tested with USFD. o Rails should be match-marked to match the rail ends for welding.
Preparation of Rail Ends

The rail end face and adjacent sides at foot (top and bottom), web and head up to 50mm shall be thoroughly cleaned using kerosene oil and brushing with wire brush to remove all dirt, grease and rust before welding. Any burrs at the rail ends shall be removed by chiseling or grinding. Normally, no alumino-thermic welded joint shall be located closer than 4m from any other welded or fish plated joint.
Gap between Rail Ends

The two rail ends to be welded shall be held in position with a uniform vertical gap of 25mm+/-1mm for normal welding and a wide gap of 501/751 mm for repairing fractured/defective welds. The uniformity and verticality of the gap shall be measured by a gauge prior to welding. The gap is measured at four corners of rail section. The permissible tolerance in squareness of joint is 0.6mm. In LWR/CWR territory, hydraulic / mechanical rail tensor of suitable and approved design should be used for maintaining correct rail gap during welding.
Preliminary Work Prior to Welding
Internal stresses will develop during in-situ welding as all the sleepers and rails are fastened tightly and will not allow to expand freely on rising of temperature. The stresses reduce, if the length of unsupported rail is more during welding. Therefore in case of in-situ welding rail fastenings for at least five sleepers on either side of the proposed weld shall be removed. Sleepers adjacent to the joint to be welded shall be shifted to obtain a clear working space of 250mm on either side to accommodate moulds, clamps,preheating equipment, etc., When the welding work is carried out on cess, full rail length shall be leveled by supporting on at least ten wooden blocks on either side. The rails shall then be properly aligned in horizontal and vertical direction and held in position.
Alignment of Rail Ends Before Welding

Lateral alignment: The two rail ends, after alignment shall be within 0.5 mm when checked with a 1.0 m straight edge at rail ends. Any difference in the widths of rail heads shall always be fully kept on the non gauge side, correctly aligning the rail ends on the gauge face. Vertical alignment : The joint shall be kept higher by 3 to 4 mm for 72 UTS rails and 2 to 2.4 mm for higher UTS rails when measured at the end of 1 m straight edge ( as a compensation against sagging caused by differential shrinkage on cooling). This shall be achieved by wedges applied on the rail supporting blocks on both sides of the joint. Gap between rail ends may be rechecked after completion of alignment. Datum marks shall be made on foot of both rails as well as on joint sleepers in order to observe any longitudinal movement of rails. If excessive longitudinal movement occurs during pre-heating and produces a welding gap outside the prescribed limits, the welding of joint shall be temporarily abandoned and joint allowed to cool.
Fixing of Moulds
It shall be ensured that the center of the rail gap coincides with the center line of the
mould to avoid cross joint. The mould jackets/shoes hold the pre-fabricated mould in a snug fit condition by tightening with adequate pressure. Excessive pressure may cause breakage of mould and dropping of sand inside the mould cavity. It is essential for the moulds to fit flush to each other across the bottom of the rail flange which can be checked by feeling with fingers across the junction of the two halves of the moulds and by looking down the riser aperture. The moulds should touch the bottom of rail foot to ensure proper size of collar at the bottom. After fixing the moulds, the gap between mould and the rail shall be packed firmly with luting sand to prevent leakage of liquid weld metal. To protect the rail table from metal splashes during reaction, the adjacent rail surface on either side of the moulds shall be covered with metal cover or smeared with luting sand up to 15cm on either side of the moulds.
Luting
It is the process of sealing the gaps of moulds. The material used is called luting sand. After fixing of the mould shoes, luting of the junction of the mould should be done, starting from the underside of the rail foot and continuing on both sides towards the head of the rail. Luting sand with minimum moisture content (6%) supplied for this purpose only should be used. To avoid any sand particle dropping into the mould, a luting cover may be placed over mould aperture. Improper luting may result in leakage of weld metal. It may lead to formation of a fin at the underside of flange which may lead to development of half moon crack under repetitive loading and may cause failure of the weld.
Per weld consumption of luting sand is 3.5 to 4.0 kg
Preheating
Process of pre heating Pre-heating is done to remove moisture from surface of rails using torches. The rail ends shall be uniformly pre-heated throughout the rail section with specially designed air petrol/ compressed air petrol/oxygen-LPG burner. The burner shall be properly adjusted during preheating to ensure that the head, web and foot of both the rail ends are heated uniformly to the desired rail temperature. The pre-heating shall be done from the top of the mould box for stipulated period for welding technique adopted, so as to achieve a temperature of around 60020 0C. Higher temperature will cause metallurgical transformation and therefore should be avoided. Presently, on Indian Railways air-petrol mixture, compressed air petrol mixture and Oxy-LPG are being used requiring about 10- 12min, 4-6 min & 1-2 min. The pre-heating torches should not be bent or damaged or their holes blocked. Positioning of the pre-heating torch in the mould box must be carefully adjusted because it affects the quality of pre-heating. Recommended pressure should be ensured while pre-heating Proper pre-heating of the rail ends consists of fulfilling three requirements namely: 14.1 Minimum pre-heat time ii) Achieving proper and the uniform colour of the rail ends. iii) Observation of the entire preheating process to ensure that rail end(s) is not melted and there is no breakage of the mould. In the event a portion of the rail head or rail face of either rail end is melted, the weld must not be executed. Rail ends and moulds must heat evenly. Uneven heat can cause internal cracking of the weld due to uneven cooling. During the preheating process, a fairly usual occurrence may be the breakage of the mould. This is where a piece of the mould may break off and fall into the weld cavity. In the event this happens, welding should be stopped, the mould should be removed &
disposed off properly and new mould installed. 14.2 Pre heating equipment Air Petrol Burner Compressed Air petrol blower Oxy-LPG heating system 14.3 Preheating time & pressure Preheating time: Preheating time would be about 10 to 12 minutes and 2 to 2.5 minutes for air-petrol and oxy-LPG preheating techniques respectively. Preheating Pressure: 70.70 kg/cm2 in welding process using air petrol burner In case of pre heating by oxy LPG process, pressure for oxygen and LPG cylinders shall be adjusted in the range of 7.0 8.0 kg/ cm2 and 2.0-2.5 kg/ cm2 respectively. While preheating with oxy LPG burner, LPG supply should be opened first,ignited and thereafter oxygen supply should be opened. While closing, oxygen supply should be stopped first followed by LPG supply. Control over heating time: By stop watch or by temperature measuring devices like optical pyrometer, contact type pyrometer or temperature indicating crayons may be used for measuring rail end temperature.
Maintenance of Crucible
The crucible lines with refractory material should be preheated from inside to remove moisture with the preheating torch before making the first weld. Preheating should be done from top to bottom. Failure to properly dry the crucible may cause. o a defective AT weld that is full of porosity. o danger of hot steel splashing forcefully out of the crucible causing serious personal injury. Slag should be cleared from the crucible side walls after each weld. Slag shall be cleaned from the crucible after each reaction, if necessary. During cleaning, care shall be taken not to damage the refractory crucible lining. The lining shall be examined regularly and patch repairing , or relining as necessary
shall be carried out. The pouring gate with thimble is designed to have a precise diameter, specific for the process. While cleansing it with a thimble drift, care should be taken not to damage the orifice of the thimble. Thimbles with enlarged orifice should be replaced. Proper seating of the thimble is very important. Improper seating of the thimble or application of the plugging material may. o cause premature tapping of the molten weld metal, due to a bypass of the thimble or in the event the thimble being cracked. o prevent the molten weld metal from tapping into the moulds. The crucible should be placed on the crucible fork fixed to swivel stand on a universal mounting. The crucible should be located in a proper position such that the tapping hole is central to the pouring gate of the mould and at a height of 50mm from the top of the pouring gate. Inaccuracies in these are likely to result in turbulent flow of molten metal. The tap hole in the crucible should then be covered with a closing pin, the head of which should be covered with asbestos pulp and alumina slag. This heat seal enables the welder to tap the molten metal at the precise time he desires. After adjustment of the crucible to obtain correct pouring position, the crucible should be swung clear of the moulds for charging.
Executing of Welding.
16.1 Ignition and reaction After the pre-heating, the preheating torch is removed and the dried sand core placed in the central pouring apparatus of the mould. The crucible is then swung into position centrally above the sand core, care being taken not to disturb the tapping pin. The crucible cap is removed. The portion in the crucible is then ignited using sparkler by placing the igniter slowly and firmly into the center of portion & crucible cap replaced. After the reaction subsides, about 5 seconds should be allowed for separation of the slag from the metal. The molten metal is then tapped into the mould by pushing up the closing pins shank with the tool provided for the purpose. The crucible should not move during tapping and no turbulence should occur while pouring. In case of occurrence of boiling or vigorous reaction, because of moisture content in the portion or crucible, the metal should be tapped outside and not in the mould. Off center pours will cause defective welds due to slag inclusion. Welding staff shall wear welding gloves and welding goggles. During the initial violent phase of the reaction, all welding staff must stand clear. 16.2 Tapping time Tapping time is defined as the total time, from the time the portion is ignited, till the molten weld metal begins to pour into the mould cavity. Tapping time is very important for the final weld quality. Premature tapping can cause a high aluminium content in the weld metal with possibility of slag inclusion too. Delayed tapping, on the other hand, causes loss of heat from the molten metal with the risk of lack of fusion. The optimum tapping time is 20-23 sec which is Reaction time + Waiting time( For
slag to rise on molten metal). 16.3 Mould waiting time It is the time the molten metal shall be allowed to cool and solidify after pouring with mould intact for the stipulated time. It depends upon the rail section and ambient temperature. The mould waiting time is generally 4-6 minutes for 25 mm gap joints and 12 minutes for 75 mm gap joints. The mould shoes shall be removed just prior to completion of mould waiting time.
16.4 Chipping of weld metal On completion of pouring, the crucible is lifted off and slag bowls removed from the mould shoes. After the mould waiting time has elapsed, the trimming should be done by using weld trimmer of suitable and approved design without knocking out the mould. In the eventuality of sudden failure of weld trimmer, manual chipping may be resorted to. In case of welding of old rails, if it is not possible to use weld trimmer due to flow of metal at rail head, manual chipping should be done. During the trimming operation, it shall be ensured that the wedges used in aligning are in their proper places without loosening, and they are not removed for a t least 20 minutes after stripping. With the use of hydraulic weld trimmer, mould from the top and sides is removed leaving at least 1mm excess metal on the rail table for removal during final grinding. The runner and riser must not be removed until cold, and that too only by knocking towards the rail.
HYDRAULIC WELD TRIMMER
16.5 Importance of risers The side holes of the moulds are called risers. Slag comes out from this. The risers are basically designed to allow slower rate of cooling of the weld metal to form Pearlitic structure ( fine grained with high fractured toughness) Lower UTS rails are less susceptible to heat than higher UTS rails, hence for the same welding type, lower UTS rails form a better joint 16.6 Grinding Finish grinding of rail top and sides should be carried out by profile grinders. Use of hand files should not be resorted to. Grinding should commence only after removing the wedge kept for joint alignment and putting back the fastenings. Final grinding should be done to the original profile of the rail as per the dimensional tolerances prescribed in the Manual on Fusion Welding of Rails. The accuracy of grinding shall be checked by using 10 cm straight edge. While grinding, only light pressure should be applied and grinding wheel should be moved to and fro to avoid local over heating. The best finish grinding on the running surface of the rail head can be achieved when
the weld has completely cooled to ambient temperature. No welding shall be carried out if it is raining. In case, the rains start while the joint is under execution, immediate arrangements to adequately cover the site shall be made.
PROFILE GRINDING
Block Period & Train Passing Time

17.1 Block period Minimum block period required for doing SKV weld is 75 mints. 17.2 Train passing time: The first train should be allowed to pass on the newly welded joint only after 30 minutes have elapsed since pouring of weld metal. Necessary speed restriction shall
be observed until the grinding operation is over. 17.3 Precautions for newly welded joints: Before the passage of traffic, the wedges used for aligning should be removed and joint sleepers which were shifted to obtain the clear gap of 250mm on either side shall be re-shifted to the original location and repacked. The newly weld need to be tested by USFD at the earliest Till tested as good by USFD, the weld done in situ shall be joggle fish plated with two clamps. Painting of weld collar should be done on all welds to protect them against corrosion immediately after the welding.
Marking of Joints
Each joint shall have a distinctive mark indicating month, year, agency, welders code and weld number of the welded joint. This should be done by punching on an aluminium strip of suitable thickness and dimension of 30 X 100 mm which should be fixed to the web of the rail with epoxy adhesive at approximately 300 mm from the joint. The welded joints shall be serially numbered in a kilometer. Repair welds/additional welds done at a later date may be given continuing weld number in that kilometer. For example, the last thermit weld umber in a particular kilometer was 88 and subsequently a thermit weld has been executed, it shall be numbered 89, irrespective of its location in that kilometer. PWI shall maintain Thermit Weld Register as per program given in Annexure 5 of Thermit welding manual. No punch marking should be done on the rail.
Heat Affected Zone (HAZ)

It is the length of rail affected by fusion from center line of weld. For normal SKV welding of 25mm+/-1mm, The fusion Zone is 45mm and the HAZ is 55mm. For Wide gap welding Fusion zone = gap/2 +32mm and HAZ = Gap/2 +42mm. No holes should be within HAZ. Fixing of Responsibility for failure of weld is based on the HAZ. Normally a failure occurred with in 100mm from center line of weld is considered as weld failure. And the one beyond 100mm is considered as rail failure.
Frequency of In-service Painting

Once in 4 years in areas not prone to corrosion. Once in a year in corrosion areas. On conditional basis in areas prone to severe corrosion.
Acceptance Tests on Welds

21.1 Visual inspection All the welded joints shall be examined carefully to detect any visible defect like
cracks, blow holes, etc. Any joint, which shows any visible defect should be rejected. 21.2 Dimensional check: All finished joints shall be checked for dimensional tolerances which should be within the tolerances. (i) Vertical alignment : Variation not more that +1.0 mm, -0 mm measured at the end of one metre straight edge. (ii) Lateral alignment : Variation not more that +0.5 mm measured at center of one metre straight edge. (iii) Finishing of top surface : +0.4mm, -0mm measured at the end of 10cm straight edge. (iv) Head finishing on sides : +0.3mm over gauge side of the rail head measured at the center of 10cm straight edge. 21.3 Ultrasonic flaw detection test : All the fusion welded joints shall be ultrasonically tested and accepted by the purchaser or his representative as per the Procedure for ultrasonic testing of thermit welded rail. Subsequently USFD testing of A.T. welds shall be done as per the provisions given in Manual for Ultrasonic Testing of Rails and Welds (1998). 21.4 Rewelding of defective joints The details of geometry of each joint shall be jointly signed by the firms and Railways representative and kept as record. Any joint found not conforming to the above stipulations shall be cut and rewelded, free of cost, by the firm. Where one bad joint is required to be replaced by two new joints, the entire cost of both the joints hall be borne by the firm 21.5 Sample testing of joints One out of every 100 joints welded shall be selected at random and should be got tested within one month of welding for its hardness, transverse load/deflection tests and porosity. If the sample test joint fails to satisfy any of the requirements of specification two more randomly selected joints from the same lot of 100 joints shall be subjected to retests and both the joints should clear the tests. If this report is also not satisfactory, further welding of joints shall be suspended until the firms welding technique has been examined certified by RDSO. 21.6 Guarantee Rail joints welded by a firm shall be guaranteed against failure for a period of two years and if fails within the guarantee period shall be rewelded free of cost by the firm. In case of failure of sample test joint, the period of guarantee for 100 joints represented by the sample joint shall be extended for a further period of one year The welded joints with the extended period of guarantee shall be marked X with yellow paint on the outer side of the web of the rail near the joint 21.7 Other requirements Welding shall be supervised by trained welding supervisor and carried out by trained welder having valid competency certificate from RDSO/TPP/NR,Lucknow A welding supervisor shall supervise not more than two welding teams deployed within 50m distance at a time. A copy of the thermit welding manual shall be available with each PWI and at each welding site ==== A.T.Welding Defects, Causes & Remedial Measures ==== The major types of defects which can cause weld failure because of improper weld
execution are given under. S Location No 1. Reason Remarks Flame cutting of rail ends is prohibited due to likelihood of cracking in web.
Longitudinal Cutting of wear crack in rail resistant grade web rails by flame cutting. Lack of Flame cutting of fusion in rail rail ends foot Cold spot Gap between rail lack of ends too widefusion. rail ends outside the collar formation. Cold spot Mould fitted lack of vertically but off fusion and associated local porosity.
2.
When producing the welding gap, never flame cut rail ends
3.
Maintain the welding gap between rail ends specified in the approved parameters of the technique. Never attempt to weld a gap, which is too wide, with standard mould. Take care to centralize the mould to the gap. Never try to fit both mould halves
4.
centre to the web simultaneously. gap.
5.
Lack of fusion on foot of one rail end.
Mould fitted Take care to fit mould both vertical and center to the gap central to the weld gap. Do not incline but inclined to mould to the vertical. the vertical. Do not try to weld worn to new rail, or rails dissimilar depth with standard mould. Luting sand must be moist but not too wet. Never use wet luting sand.
6.
Gross lack Standard mould of fusion on fitted to rails of rail end. dissimilar depth. Porosity in the thermit steel Luting sand too wet.
7.
8.
Sand Dropping of inclusion in luting sand into the rail foot the mould. and sand burn marks transversely across the rail head. Gross porosity throughout the whole weld section.
Take care when sealing the mould with sand. It must not be allowed to drop into the mould.
9.
Use of damp Carefully dry out the crucible lining crucible is using the preheating burner. detrimental to thermit reaction and results in gross porosity of
weld metal. 10. Gross porosity throughout the whole weld section. Use of damp portion. Moisture present in portion reacts with aluminium and in its characteristic, there by affecting the thermit reaction and resultant steel. This change cannot be reversed by drying out. It is essential only to use dry thermit portions. Never use portions, which have been damped and dried out. After preheating, fit the sand core with the riser aperture of the mould and press down lightly.
11. Gross Pouring without inclusion of the plug in the slag in the position. rail head. 12. Gross slag Pouring off inclusion in centre to the rail head on plug. one side.
Ensure that the crucible is positioned centrally over the sand core and the crucible does not move during the thermit reaction. Never allow the thermit steel to pour directly into either pouring gate.
13. Fracture Immediate During solidification and immediately through imposition of after thermit weld should not be weld centre. tensile forces on subjected to tensile force. weld metal cause internal tearing of weld metal which leads to total transverse fracture. 14. Cracking of weld after cooling at rail ends. Failure to use the correct thermit portion and welds. Procedure as approved for specific rail section/rail chemistry. Always check the chemistry and type of rail to be welded and use correct type of portion and adopt correct welding parameters at the time of welding of rail joints.
Precautions to be taken During SKV Welding

While carrying out welding at site, the following precautions shall be observed: (i) It should be ensured that the portion being used matches with type and chemistry of rail. (ii) Rail ends should be square. (iii) Alignment of rail ends should be perfect as checked by straight edge. (iv) Rail ends should be properly cleaned with kerosene oil and wire brushes. (v) Stop watch should be provided to the welding supervisor at each welding site.
(vi) Pressure in the tanks/cylinder should be properly maintained during preheating. (vii) Correct gap between rail ends at head, web and foot shall be ensured. (viii) Correct preheating time for rail ends shall be ensured. (ix) Tightness of clips fitted with hose connections to compressor tank and burner shall be checked before commencing preheating. (x) Nozzles of burners shall be cleaned periodically to avoid back fire. (xi) The compressor tank shall be kept at least 2 to 3 m away from the burner to prevent fire hazard. (xii) The tapping shall be done within the time specified for that particular technique. Welding parameters for techniques presently being used are available at Item No. 24 below. For special type of welding i.e. 75mm gap, combination joint, etc. the time of reaction and tapping shall be as stipulated by RDSO for that particular welding technique. (xiii) Arrangements for giving first aid shall be available at site. (xiv) Welders should be provided with gloves and coloured glasses. (xv) Boiling portion shall be out tapped. (xvi) No moist portion/torned portion bag shall be used for welding. (xvii) Dampness in moulds can lead to Porosity and early fatigue failure of welds. (xviii)Only those contractual agencies which have clearance from the RDSO/Railway Board can execute welding work. Supply of portions must be from sources approved by RDSO/Railway Board. (xix) Many weld failures show evidence of badly cut rail ends. The evenness and verticality of a rail cut depends solely upon the skill of the welder. With portable disc cutters, very little skill is required to produce good cut.
Parameters for different gaps of A.T. Welding Techniques

24.1. Dimensional Tolerances for finished AT Welds
Alumino Thermit Welding - Dos & Donts

25.1 Dos Welding is to be done only in adequate traffic block. For doing cess welding, rail should be supported on a minimum of 10 wooden blocks duly pegging the rail for better alignment. Welding is to be done either insitu or on the cess, but not on the ballast shoulders. Battered / hogged rails are to be end cropped before welding. Rail ends should be cut true to square. The rail ends should be cleaned with K.oil before welding to remove dust, grease particles. Fittings for a minimum of 5 sleepers on either side are to be removed for alignment and levelling. Welding gaps should be as specified for that type of welding. (25mm/50mm/75mm) Rails are to be properly aligned before taking up welding. Moulds utilized for welding should not be cracked or wet. Dry moulds should be fixed centrally on the joint. Mould shoe should match with dry moulds.
Rail ends are to be pre-heated uniformly Crucible should be charged with magnesite powder at regular intervals of 8-10 weld joints. The crucible should be free of moisture and charging should be done periodically. The height between the crucible and dry mould should be approximately 50mm, Gauges of the pressure tanks should be functional to develop proper pressure as specified Adequate tank pressure should be maintained. Stipulated pre heating time is to be ensured. Ensure that weld portion bags are intact and portions are not contaminated. The shell life of portions is 2 years, beyond which portions should be tested for reaction before utilization. Portions should be thoroughly mixed for uniformly in a steel Pan before pouring in the crucible. Cap should be placed on the crucible when the reaction is in progress. Tapping should be done centrally in the mould, so that the discharge falls centrally on the cake. Chipping of weld should be done after maintaining cooling time of 4-6 minutes for a 25mm gap welding and 12 minutes for 75mm gap welding. The first train should be passed with restricted speed only after 30 minutes of welding duly grinding the weld, fish plating and supporting the rail on wedges. It should be ensured that chisel marks are not made on the finished welds. Finishing of weld to be done within 24 hours after welding. On completion of the welding, particulars of welding like date of welding, type of welding, welders code etc.,are to be printed on aluminium strip glued to web of rail. Anti corrosive painting should be done for a length of 10 cm on either side of weld. 25.2 Donts * Do not do welding in inadequate traffic block. Welding should not be done in rain or rapidly cooling temperature. Unqualified welders should not be employed for welding. Gas cut rails should not be used for welding. Do not use untested rails for welding. The distance between two welds should not be less than 4 mts. Welding old rails, should not be done without end cropping. 72 UTS portions should not be utilized for 90 UTS rails. Rail ends should not be welded without cleaning with K.oil and wire brush. No bolt hole should be within 40mm from the rail end. Worn out and damaged tools, equipment should not be used for welding. Location where portions are stocked should not be damp/wet. Weld portions and luting sand should not be utilized after expiry date. Damaged dry moulds should not be used for welding. Damaged and loose portions should not be utilized. Portions should not be tampered with.
Luting sand should not be mixed with ordinary local sand in case of shortage. Wedges under the rail should not be removed for a minimum of 20 minutes after chipping. Portions should not be utilized without proper mixing prior to welding. Rail tensor should not be used for distressing before weld cools down. The first train should not be allowed over the welds before 30 minutes after the molten steel poured in to mould Speed restriction should not be relaxed till grinding of weld is completed.
LATEST DEVELOPMENTS IN AT WELDING

AT WELDING WITH THREE PIECE MOULDS COMPRESSED AIR PETROL PREHEATING SYSTEM COMBINATION JOINT & DIFFERENT GRADE RAILS WIDE GAP (50mm, 75mm) WELDING ONE SHOT CRUCIBLE SELF TAPPING THIMBLE Circulars Copy of SC Rly Headquarters letter No.W.T-5/P/Vol.XIII, Date: 20-8-2009 JOINT ENGINEERING AND OPERATING CIRCULAR Sub: Traffic Block for removal of cautions due to Rail / Weld failures and cutting of rails. Instructions have already been issued by Engineering Department regarding carryout repair of rail fractures and weld failures including the cutting of rails under Traffic Block only. To minimize the traffic block requirements, it has also been instructed to replace hacksaw blades by Abrasive Disc Cutters on priority and with due urgency. With a view to streamline the procedure for removal of cautions due to rail / weld failures, the following further instructions are issued regarding the management of traffic blocks for immediate compliance. 1. The work of repair of rail fractures and weld failures including the cutting of rails shall be carried out under traffic block only. No deviations are permitted under any circumstances. 2. The removal of caution due to rail /weld failures will normally require two cuts an two welds after inserting the rail of suitable length (not less than 4 meters). 3. The traffic block requirement involving two cuts and two welds shall be 100 minutes where the rail cutting is done by Abrasive Disc Cutters. In case the rail cutting is done by hacksaw blades, the block requirement shall be 120 minutes. 4. When situation warrants due to more cautions on account of rail / weld failures, Abrasive Disc Cutters, from SEs/P.Way of adjacent sections shall be pooled up and deployed, to complete the work early. 5. Wherever Abrasive Disc Cutters have been deployed, traffic block of 100 minutes only shall be demanded and granted for repair of fractures involving 2 cuts and 2 welds. Divisions shall make efforts to procure and deploy abrasive rail cutters in all sections. 6. On other sections, where rail cutting is to be done by Hacksaw Blade, traffic block of 120 minutes shall be demanded and granted for repair of fractures involving 2 cuts and 2 welds. 7. In case of non-availability of continuous block of 120 minutes duration, the same
may split in two parts i.e., a block of 30 minutes followed by another bock of 90 minutes duration. In case of split block f (30+90) minutes, due regard shall be given to the prevailing temperature at the time of second block, so that the gaps available at the time of welding during the second block are close to 25 mm. A close coordination between the officials of Engineering and Operating Departments should be ensured in case of split block situation. 8. Block requirement for works involving one cut and one weld shall be suitably reduced. The fundamental requirements being 70 minutes block for a single weld only, 90 minutes block for two contiguous welds, 5 minutes for a single cut by Abrasive Disc Cutters, about 20 minutes for rail cutting by hacksaw blade, etc. 9. There instructions should be quickly percolated to all the officers and inspectors of Operating and Engineering Departments in control offices as well as in the field.
Sd/- (Rakesh Saksena) Sd/- (Pradeep Kumar) Chief Operating Manager Principal Chief Engineer. Copy of SC Rly Headquarters lr. No.W.T-5/P/Vol.XIII, dated 20.8.2009 addressed to All Sr.DEN/Co-ordinations of S.C.Railway Sub: Repairs to rail / weld failures and cutting of rails on running lines. Instructions exist vide para -15.08, Chapter XV of G&SR-2008 and also Rly. Board lr. No.98/CE-II/INSPN.5 dt.7/15.8.98 that track works leading to discontinuity in track such as causal renewal of rails, temporary / permanent repairs of rail /weld failures shall be undertaken under traffic block only. It has come to notice that the work of rail cutting prior to rail renewal is being undertaken in between the train gaps with banner flag and caution order protection without ensuring traffic block, which is an unsafe practice. At times, such situations have resulted into derailments also. It is pointed out that the work of cutting of rails is an integral part of rail renewal activity and is therefore required to be executed under clear block protection. To avoid such unsafe situation, following instructions are issued on the subject matter for strict compliance in the field with immediate effect. 1. Cutting of running rail on running lines should be undertaken under Traffic Block only. No deviations are permitted under any circumstances. 2. The work of repair of rail fractures and weld failures including the cutting of running rail shall be carried out under traffic block only. 3. To minimize the traffic block requirements, for works involving rail cutting, hacksaw blades are replaced by the Abrasive Disc Cutters, on priority and with due urgency. 4. Gas cutting shall not be carried out on running rails. In case it is essential to resort to gas cutting due to emergency, the gas cut rail shall be treated as IMR rail and same will be removed within 24 hours at first opportunity. Till such time necessary speed restriction shall be imposed duly posting a watchman. 5. In case of rail cutting by Abrasive Disc Cutters, traffic block of 100 minutes shall be demanded for repair of fractures involving 2 cuts and 2 welds. 6. In case of rail cutting by Hacksaw Blades, traffic block of 120 minutes shall be demanded for repair of fractures involving 2 cuts and 2 welds. 7. In case of non-availability of continuous block of 120 minutes duration, the same may be split in two parts, a block of 30 minutes for cutting followed by another block of 90 minutes duration for welding. 8. Block requirement for works involving one cut and one weld shall be suitably
reduced. This issues with the approval of PCE.
Sd/- (S.P.SAHU) Chief Track Engineer South Central Railway Forwarded vide lr. No.501/I/7/Vol.VIII Dt.02.1.08 Copy of Headquarters lr. No.W.413/GENL/RWF/XXIV, dated15.6.2009 addressed to Sr.DEN/Co-ordinations of S.C.Railway Sub: Rail / Weld failures Dent / Notch marks. Recently one Rail fracture had taken place at km.211/30-32 Dn. line between BTTRSVPM and GDR-BZA section on 8.6.2009. This was reported as Weld failure. On examination of the broken pieces, a deep Dent Mark was noticed on the rail foot close to the SKV weld which was the origin for causing the Rail fracture. 2. On earlier occasion also one more Rail breakage had taken place on 5.12.2008 at km.251/5-3 up line between MCI-MMZ of KZJ-BPQ section for which the cause of failure was also due to dent / cut mark at rail foot. Such type of Dent/Notch marks on UTS rails are serious cause of concerned resulting into Rail fracture. Such Dent/cuts are caused due to mishandling of rails during unloading or laying. 3. In order to avoid such unsafe situations, it is advised to carryout thorough inspection of rails in the section and take action to identify and attend such locations. Sr.DEN/DEN of the section should be advised to take this matter seriously and take necessary remedial action. Simultaneously, staff at all levels need to be counseling regarding proper handling of rails. Action taken in this regard may be advised to undersigned.
Sd/- (S.P.SAHU) Chief Track Engineer Copy of Headquarters letter No.509/P/AT Welders & Welding, dated 29.10.2008 addressed to All Sr.DEN/Co-ordinations of S.C.Railway. Sub: Standard Register for recording rail / weld fractures reg. Ref: CTEs Inspection Notes No.35/2008 vide letter No.W.246/CTE/04/Vol.III, dt.20.10.08. A standard printed register for recording rail / weld fractures (for use of SSE/SE/P.Way of open line) containing 15 columns for recording various details was issued to Division earlier. CTE vide Para-7 of the above referred Inspection Notes has observed that the Register do not have columns for noting down the name of agency, name of welder etc., which are required to monitor performance of the same. It was advised to redesign the proforma of the register incorporating these details. Divisions are advised to furnish the desired revised format and the number of copies required for each division, to arrange from Hqrs. In the meanwhile, the details of welding agency and the name of welder may please be recorded in the Column No.11 (type of welder) and Column No.12 (date of welding) along with the details for the printed item in the next line. Please acknowledge the receipt of this letter, with the details asked above.
Sd/- (J.N.GUPTA) Dy.CE/Tr.II Copy of lr.No.B/W.413/GL/Joggled Fish Plates/P.Way-II, dated 14.11.07 addressed to All ADENs & SSEs/SEs/P.Way on BZA Division. Sub: Precautions to be taken on Passenger intensive routes Joggling of AT Welds Reg. Ref: 1) CTE/SCs letter Nos. W.413/Joggling, dt.21.6.07, 10.8.07 and 13.9.7 2) This office letters of even No., dated 8.7.07 and20.9.07. Please refer to the letters cited under reference wherein it was advised that joggling of AT welds has to be done at the following locations as per the extent instructions and the same should be completed before 31.10.2007 without fail. 1) All AT welds in locations where the track has carried more than 50% of the stipulated GMT. 2) All AT welds in well fracture prone locations. 3) All AT welds on the outer rails of curves with curvature and above. 4) All AT welds on major and important bridges and their approaches on either side upto 100 Mtrs. 5) All AT welds on Track where the height of the bank is 4 M and above. Please ensure Joggled fish plating of all the AT welds in the above locations of your section is completed before 24.11.07 without fail and the compliance report should be submitted to this office to advise Hqrs. Office by 26.11.07. This has the approval of Sr.DEN/Co-ord/BZA.
Sd/For Sr.DEN/Co-ord/BZA Copy of Railway Boards Lr. No.Track/21/2002/0110/A T Policy, dt.11.8.2005 addressed to PCEs of All Indian Railways. Sub: Quality control for welding of rails by SKV process. Board have decided that the following course of action be adopted in future welding contract. 1. Initial USFD testing should be conducted within a months time from the date of welding so that the welder with a bad workmanship can be identified and removed from the site. 2. In case of the defective weld exceeds 4% the certificate issued by RDSO should be cancelled and welder will have to go through with the process of re-certification. Till fresh certification is issued Welder should not be allowed to do any work on the track. 3. A penalty of Rs.500/- may be imposed for defective welds ranging from 2 to 4% and a penalty of Rs.1000/- of the defective weld is found more than 4%. 4. There should be a provision of joint checking with firms representative. During the course of joint checking, if the defective weld is less than 50% of what has been detected earlier by PWI/USFD, explanation should be called from the PWI/USFD for the discrepancy and suitable action be taken if the motive behind detecting the higher
number of defective welds is suspected. 5. A firm may be allowed to do the welding of defective weld by wider gap technology. This will reduce the wastage of rail and population of additional SKV weld at site. 6. Railway to maintain batch wise and welder wise data of each weld at site so that any deficiency in a particular batch or portion or welder can be identified and suitable action can be taken in consultation with RDSO. Numbering of SKV weld at site should be done to co-relate a particular weld with a particular batch of portion and welder. 7. 1% sample joint testing as envisaged in the manual (Para 7.1 of Manual for Fusion Welding of Rails By Alumino Thermic Process ) shall be strictly followed by Zonal Railways. The instructions conveyed to the Railways vide this office letter of even number dated 17.2.2003 stands withdrawn.
Sd/- (S.K.AGRAWAL) Executive Director Track (P) Railway Board Copy of Railway Boards letter No.Track/21/2004/0902/7, dated 08.02.08 addressed to PCEs of All Indian Railways. Sub: USFD testing of AT welds using digital AT weld testers. Digital Ultrasonic equipment for Aluminothermic Weld was developed by RDSO in association with trade for quite some time. These Ultrasonic Weld Testers are not only handy but also can record data being a digital equipment. Moreover, PWI/USFD can himself do the probing operation and view the signals on the monitor simultaneously. Therefore, the quality of testing improves drastically with its use. As on date, there are two RDSO approved vendors for the equipment, namely M/s.Modsonics Instrument Manufacturing Company Pvt., Ltd., Ahemdabad and M/s. Parikh Industries, Mumbai. Railway Board has now decided that al ultrasonic testing of AT welds henceforth would be carried out using RDSO approved digital ultrasonic equipment. Six months' time period has been fixed for the procurement of equipment / development of requisite infrastructure. Therefore, Railways are advised to take necessary action in this regard and compliance report be sent to Board.
Sd/- (S.K.AGRAWAL) Executive Director Track (P) Railway Board. Copy of Railway Boards letter No.Track/21/99/0910/7, dated 30.5.07 addressed to PCEs of All Indian Railways. Sub: Precautions to be taken on Passenger intensive routes. Board (ME) desired that following precautions should be taken on the passenger intensive routes (Prority-1) and on CC+8+2T routes (Priority-2): 1. Joggle fish plating of the thermit welds (irrespective of age) on the outer rail of the curves should be done on priority. The fist plating should be done using clamps without drilling of holes. 2. Joggle fish plating of the thermit weld on the bridges along with its approaches upto
100 m should be done. 3. Each and every weld fracture is to be analyzed by sectional Sr.DEN/DEN. It should be ascertained whether weld failure is sudden, due to some impact or it is due to an inherent defect leading to fatigue like, improper fusion or blow holes or presence of fin etc., remedial action due to be identified and taken promptly.
Sd/- (S.K.AGRAWAL) Executive Director Track (P) Railway Board. Office of the DRM/Works/SC No.CW.506.Tra ck/Grade/Genl. Date 25.5.2007 All ADENs / SC Division Sub: Performance of SKV Welders and Grading. A database has been developed at the Divisional office and Headquarters. CTE has given instructions to assess the performance of the welders an grading should be given to each welder working in your section. As ` A,B or C. The welders whose grade is A & B only should be utilize in the field as welders. The other welders who are graded as C should be utilized for supporting the welder and after they gain confidence, they are supposed to be upgraded. However, no welding should be done in the field who are not having valid compe6tency certificate and graded as B or C. Sample proforma is enclosed to fallow and the details available are to be update and submitted to the undersigned along with the number of weldings done by the individual during the year 2006 till date. Their performance results in terms of defective joints / failed joints shall b shown and considered for awarding gradations. The guidelines given may be follows. Marks to be awarded: For Technical knowledge - 35 Marks For Skill in execution. - 35 Marks For quality welding - 30 Marks (Based on defective/failed joints) Total 100 Marks Grading A > or= 90 Marks B < 90 and > or = 75 Marks C < 75 Marks CORRECTION SLIP NO.1 ENGINEERING STANDING ORDER NO.3 of 01.2.1999 Sub:-Guidelines for containing rail fractures/weld failures. In partial modification to the above Standing order, the following amendments are made to the para mentioned below:Existing para No.2.1. shall be read as under:= Thermit welding should preferably be done on cess. When the welding work is done on the cess full rail length should be leveled by supporting on at least ten wooden blocks on either side, if done in site, it should be done under line block of adequate
duration. The rail fastenings for at least five sleepers on either side of the proposed weld shall be loosened to avoid internal contraction stress at the joint during cooling. The approximate time required for various operation for execution of SKV welding in situ under traffic block are indicated below:Sl.No Process involved Welding Time 52 Kg Section 1. 60 Kg Section
cleaning.|15-20 minutes |15-20 minutes| 2.
setting ,mould fixing & luting|10 minutes| 10 minutes| 3. Pre-heating 10 minutes 12 minutes 3 minutes 3 minutes
4. Reaction time, removal of burner, tapping and removal of crucible stand 5. Mould waiting time 6. Trimming of weld 7. First train passing time
5 minutes 3 minutes
6 minutes 3 minutes
30 minutes 30 minutes 76-81 MINUTES 79-84 MNUTES
8. TOTAL
Hence, if welding is done in situ, it should be done under line block of minimum 75 minutes for SKV welding process. Sd/- (G.P. Mallikharjun) Principal Chief Engineer USFD Testing of AT Welds ULTRASONIC TESTING OF ALUMINO-THERMIC WELDED RAIL JOINTS 1. SCOPE: Following types of testing for Alumino Thermic welds have been prescribed. These are: (a) Testing of weld head/web, which gets covered during through periodic rail testing by SRT/DRT. The frequency of testing in this case is as per para 6.8.1.1 of USFD Manual. As per this testing defects detected in weld heads are classified as IMRW and OBSW aide Annexure II. The action to be taken for such defective welds is as per para 6.4 (b) Periodic testing of complete weld by hand probing of weld head/web and bottom flange using O 2MHz, 70 2 MHz, 45 2 MHz probe ( AT weld foot scanning for half moon shaped defect) and 70 2 MHz ( 8 x 8 mm) probes. The frequency of testing in this case is as per 6.8.2.1 of USFD Manual. As per this testing defects detected in welds are classified as DFW . The action to be taken for such defective welds is as
per Para 6.6 of USFD manual. Besides this, welds are also tested after their execution using O 2 MHz, 70 2 MHZ, 45 2 MHz probe( AT weld foot scanning for clustered defect/ micro porosities in web foot region) and 45 2MHz ( Tandem probe scanning for lack of fusion). This test is termed as Initial Acceptance Test. As per this testing, defects detected in welds are classified as DFW . The action to be taken for such defective welds is as per Para 8.10 of USFD manual. 2. Equipment : Any RDSO approved model of ultrasonic equipment for Aluminothermic welded rail joints as per RDSO specification No. M&C/NDT/129/2005 or its latest version along with rig for tandem testing. 3. Probes : ( i) Normal/O , 2 MHz, 18 mm Dia, Double crystal - 1 no. ( ii ) 45, 2 MHz, 20 mm Dia. Or 20mmx 20 mm square crystal size, Single crystal - 3 nos ( iii ) 70, 2 MHz, 20 mm Dia. Or 20mmx 20 mm square crystal size, Single crystal - 1 no. ( iv) 70, 2 MHz, 8 mm x 8 mm crystal size, Single crystal - 1 no 4. Cable : Co-axial cable for each probe shall be used. The length shall not be more than 2 mtrs. 5. Couplant : Soft grease shall be used as couplant. 6. Testing procedure and Classification: Sl. No. Probe Calibr ation Sensitivity Defect Classification( DFW) Type of defect Detected Locatio n 1 O 2 MHz 300 mm 60% FSH on 3 mm hole in head From head 40% or more ht.From web or foot >20% ht To detect Porosity, Blow holes, Slag inclusion in Head&upto mid web of weld Head & Web 2 70 S/C 2MHZ 300 mm 60% FSH on 3 mm hole in head From head 40% or more ht To detect lack of Fusion, Porosity, Blow holes, Slag inclusion, Crack in Head of AT weld Head 3 70 S/C 2MHZ 300 mm 60% FSH on 3 mm hole in the middle of the Flange of AT weld 40% or more ht To detect lack of fusion, Porosity, Blow holes, Slag inclusion in Flange of AT weld Foot 4 45 S/C 2 MHZ 500 mm 60% FSH on Simulated notch at Bottom of AT weld 20% or more ht To detect Halfmoon shaped defect ay bottom of weld Foot 5 70 S/C 2 MHZ ( 88 300m m 60% FSH on Simulated 20% or more ht To detect Halfmoon shaped defect ay bottom Foot mm) notch at Bottom of AT weld of weld 6 45/45 S/C 2 MHZ (Tande m Techni que) 500 mm 100% of FSH and increase the Gain by 10db 40% or more To detect vertical oriented defects such as lack of fusion in rail head, web and foot region below web. Head, Web & foot below web 7. Defect Classification, marking and action taken: Classification Marking on both sides of web Action to be taken DFW + + With red paint For NEW Welds: These DFW welds shall be cropped, re-welded and tested again. For Service welds: These DEW welds on detection, SE/USFD/shall impose SR 30kmph or stricter immediately. He should communicate to Sec Se about the flaw location who shall ensure the following: ( i ) protection of DFW weld by jog. Fps using min.2 tight clamps/2 far end tight bolts one on each side, after which SR can be relaxed upto 100/75 Kmph for Goods/Pass trains. ( ii ) In case protection of DFW weld has been done using jog.FPs with clamps, the DFW weld shall be replaced with in 15 days. However, protection of DFW weld has a been done using jog.FPs with 2 far end tight bolts SR shall continue till weld is replaced which should not be later than 3 months. The DFW weld with SR may be continued in track if the track is to be renewed with in 12 months. 8. Weld Testing Frequency ( SKV ) S.No Type of Weld Type of testing Testing Schedule Acceptance Test Immediately after welding First Periodic Test One year Routes Having GMT Frequency 45 2 years 30 < 45 3 years 15 < 30 4 years
1 SKV Further Tests based on route GMT 0 - 15 5 years 9. Note: ( i ) Due to unusual high weld failure or abnormal development in some sections, Chief Engineer may order testing of welds early, as per need. ( ii )The USFD testing can be dispensed with in case of those welds which are more than 15 years old and protected by joggled fish plates with far end tight bolts. ( iii ) TWR should be planned after the welds have carried 50% of the stipulated GMT of Rails.
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MANUAL FOR FUSION WELDING OF RAILS XHE ALUMINO
MANUAL FOR FUSION WELDING OF RAILS BY THE ALUMINO-THERMIC PROCESS 1. INTRODUCTION 1.1 This manual supercedes "Manual for welding of rail joints by the alumino-thermic process, April, 1987" 1.2 There have been many technological improvements in the ,process of Alumino-Thermic welding which have necessitated revision of Manual issued in April- 1987. Same considerations also led to revision of Indian Railway Standared Specification for fusion welding of rails by alumino-thermic process which has now been revised and issued under the serial No. IRS T-19-1994. 1.3 On Indian Railways Alumino-Thermic welding with short pre-heating process by using high Silica sand mould (C0 2 dried) is being followed at present for welding rails of different chemistry and sections. Short preheating is mostly being done by Air-petrol fuel mixture. Oxy-LPG & Compressed Air petrol fuel mixture are being developed as these techniques take less time for pre-heating the rail ends to desired temperature resulting in saving of block time with improved quality of joint. 1.4 A. T. welding is required to be done to convert flash butt welded panels into long panels and for repair of fracture. Normally new single 'rails shall not be welded by A.T. welding. 1.5 Conventional AT welding process which utilised green sand mould has been banned on Indian Railways. Alumino- Thermic welding techniques with short pre-heat process have been standardised for 75R, 90R and higher rail sections and not standardised for 60R rails. The welding of 60R rails will be done by .conventional AT welding process using green sand mould, as the scope of such welding is very limited for which the provisions laid down in "Manual for welding of Rail joints by the Alumino-Thermic Process, April 1987' will continue to be applicable. 2. SCOPE 2.1 This manual outlines the method of welding and the precaution and steps to be taken before, during and after welding by short pre-heating process for .achieving, satisfactory weld. 3. SELECTION OF RAILS TO BE WELDED 3.1 For both new as well as second hand rails, before welding, it should be ensured that the end bends of the rails are within + 0.5mm,-Omm in vertical and 0.5mm in lateral direction, when checked with 1 metre straight edge as shown in Fig. 3.1(a), (b) & (c). 3.2 New rails - Rails to be welded shall conform to the tolerances stipulated in the relevant specification as stated in Table - 1 below:
http://www.indianrailways.gov.in/railwayboard/uploads/codesmanual/FWRATP/Thermic%20Process_Data.htm[24-12-2013 12:25:49]
3.3 Second hand rails - For conversion of existing single rails/ Short welded panels into SWP/LWR/CWR or during secondary rail renewal, old serviceable rails may be welded subject to the following conditions: i) Obsolete rail sections and rails, older than 50 years shall not, normally, be welded. Specific approval of the Railway Board may, however, be obtained in special cases. ii) The Chief Track Engineer shall satisfy himself that second hand rails have a substantial rail life to make it a safe and economical proposal. iii) Rails shall be free from corrosion or excessive wear. The height of rail and width of rail head shall not be less than the values as indicated in Table-2 :
The limit of lateral wear in the rail head as laid down in Table-2, viz. 6mm may be followed subject to uniform gauge without any abrupt change. iv) Rails shall be tested before welding, with ultrasonic flaw detector apart from visual inspection, so that rails having cracks and internal flaws are excluded from welding. In order to achieve satisfactory running on welded rail panels, rails with excessive scabbing, wheel burns, corrugations and wear of rail seats shall not be used for welding. The rail flange bottom shall be visually inspected to ensure freedom from defects like dent, notch, corrosion etc. v) Even where cracks/flaws have not been detected during visual/ USFD examination before welding, the ends of second hand rails should be suitably cropped so as to eliminate fish bolt holes. vi) The rail ends shall be cut by sawing or using abrasive disc cutter and not by flame cutting. vii) Second hand rails shall be match - marked before releasing from track to enable matching of the rail ends at the time of welding. Kinks, if any, in the rails shall be removed before welding. viii) The rolling marks on the web of rails shall be checked before welding to ensure that generally rails of different qualities are not welded together. However in unavoidable circumstances, where rails of Grade 710 (72UTS) rail chemistry and that of Grade 880 (90 UTS) chemistry are to be welded, the portion of Grade 880 (90 UTS) chemistry shall be utilised for welding. xi) While using second hand rail panels for secondary renewal, released from LWR/CWR sections, the ends should be cropped to eliminate fish bolt holes. If rail ends do not have bolt holes, the ends may be cropped to a distance of minimum 150mm for AT welds and 85mm for Flash Butt welds from the centre of welded joint to eliminate heat affected zone of welds. End cropping may be suitably' increased so as to ensure that rail ends are within the tolerances as specified in para 3.1. 4. EXECUTION OF JOINTS AT SITE 4.1 Technique for welding Welding techniques approved provisionally or for regular adoption by Railway Board/RDSO should only be adopted for welding of rails. Present status of welding techniques, approved/ provisionally approved for extended field trials, of various A.T. portion manufacturing firms is given at Annexure- 1 . (As on 31-12-97) : 4.1.1 Presently, only Four firms are approved for manufacturing of portion and execution of welding. Further, 12 firms are approved only for executing A. T. welds with portion and technique developed by Thermit portion plant'/N. Rly./Lucknow (TPP). Apart from this departmental welders are also trained and certified by TPP for AT welding of rails with the technique developed by them. Following course of action may be adopted for welding of rails through approved portions manufacturers, labour contracting firms and by departmental welders: i) Large scale welding a) Approved portions manufacturing firms with their portions, consumables, equipments and RDSO certified
welders/welding supervisors. b) Labour contracting firms with portions, consumables of TPP and welders/welding supervisors certified by RDSO. c) Departmental welders certified by TPP with portions and consumables manufactured by TPP only. ii) Casual welding (a) Agencies as mentioned in para 4.1.1 (i) (a) & (b) above. (b) TPP certified departmental welders for welds of 25mm gap using portion, consumables and preferably equipment also of approved portions manufacturers as per the approved welding parameters as given in Annexure - 1. iii) AT. welding in case of Turn -key contracts: in case of turn-key contracts for gauge conversion, new lines, doubling, open line works, etc. in which A.T. welding also forms a small portion of work, suitable provisions may be kept in the contract conditions for executing welding by the agencies as mentioned in para 4.1.1. (1) (a). 4.2 Portion for welding: 4.2.1 The "portion" used for welding shall conform to the technical requirements as mentioned in IRST-19 1994. The suitability of the "portion'' for the welding process in respect of the type and section of rails to be welded shall be ensured before commencing welding. Only RDSO certified/passed portions should be used for welding. 4.2.2 Shelf life of portion: No specific shelf life has been indicated for AT welding portions. Life of portions would depend on the quality of packing and storage condition. AT portion is sensitive to moisture. Once the portion absorbs moisture, the same cannot be removed even by drying as the ingredients react chemically. All such portion should not be used for welding. If packing is intact and there is no entry of moisture , the portion can be used even after a long time. However, following procedure may be adopted for permitting use of portions beyond two years after the date of manufacturing: (a) One random sample per batch of 300 or part there-of may be drawn from the portions available in stores. (b) The sample shall be tested for reaction test. If the reaction is normal , the batch represented by the sample can be used without further tests. c) In case the reaction is found to be quiet or boiling a test joint should be made from one more sampleselected from the batch. Following tests should be conducted on the test joints. (i) Aluminium content test (from riser of the joint) (ii) Load deflection test. These tests should, be conducted at Zonal CMTs organisation and/or the Flash Butt Welding Plant. If the values obtained in above tests are within the specified values as given in para 4.1.3 and 4.2.3.1 of IRS T19-94, the batch represented by the sample can be used otherwise batch should be rejected. (d) The rejected portions are to be disposed-off by igniting five portions at a time in a pit away from the store. 4.3 Equipment and staff for welding The list for one set of A. T. welding equipment by short preheating process is given in Annexure-2 . The composition of thermit welding team is given in Annexure-3. 4.4 Preparation of rail ends to be welded. The rail end face and adjacent sides at foot (top & bottom) , web and head upto 50mm shall be thoroughly cleaned using kerosene oil and brushing with wire brush to remove all dirt, grease and rust before welding. Any burrs at the rail ends shall be removed by chiselling or grinding.
4.4.1 Normally, no alumino-thermic welded joint shall be located closer than 4 metre from any other welded or fish plated joint. 4.5 Gap between rail ends The two rail ends to be welded shall be held in position with a uniform and vertical gap as per gap specified in Annexure-l . The uniformity and verticality of the gap shall be measured by a gauge prior to welding. In case of wide gap 50l/ 751 mm welding, for repairing fractured/ defective welds, it shall be ensured that the end faces are vertical. In LWR/CWR territory, hydraulic/mechanical rail tensor of suitable & approved design should be used for maintaining correct rail gap during welding. 4.6 Preliminary work prior to welding 4.6.1 In case of in-situ welding the rail' fastenings for at least five sleepers on either side of the proposed weld shall be loosened. The sleepers adjacent to the joint to be welded shall be shifted to obtain a clear working space of 250 mm on either side to accommodate the moulds, clamps, preheating equipment, etc. The rails shall then be properly aligned, both horizontally and vertically. 4.6.2 When the welding work is carried out on cess, full rail" length shall be levelled by supporting on at least ten wooden blocks on either side. The rails shall be properly aligned in horizontal and vertical direction and held in position. 4.7 Alignment of rail ends before welding 4.7.1 The rail ends to be welded shall be aligned in horizontal and vertical planes to the dimensional limits indicated below:4.7.1.1 Lateral alignment: The two rail ends, after alignment shall be within 0.5 mm when checked with a 1.0m straight edge at rail ends (Fig. 4.7.1.1(a) & (b)). Any difference in the widths of rail heads shall always be fully kept on the non-gauge side, correctly aligning the rail ends on the gauge face. 4.7.1.2 Vertical alignment: The joint shall be kept higher by 3 to, 4mm for 72 UTS rails and 2 to 2.4 mm for higher UTS rails when measured at the end of 1m straight edge (as a compensation against sagging caused by differential shrinkage on cooling) (Fig.4.7.1.2) . This shall be achieved by wedges applied on the rail supporting, blocks on. both sides 0f the joint. 4.7.2 Gap between rail ends may be rechecked after completion of alignment. Datum marks shall be made on foot of both rails as well as on joint sleepers in order to observe any longitudinal movement of rails. If excessive longitudinal movement occurs during pre-heating and produces a welding gap outside the prescribed limits, the welding of joint shall be temporarily abandoned and joint allowed to cool. 4.8 Fixing of mould 4.8.1 Only prefabricated moulds supplied by the portion manufacturer shall be used for welding. These are to be made by mixing high silica sand to IS:1987 with sodium silicate to the required consistency, followed by passage of CO 2 gas. These prefabricated moulds shall have adequate permeability for escape of mould gases and adequate reinforcement, to avoid mould crushing during transportation and welding. 4.8.2 Before mounting on the rail ends to be welded, each pair of moulds shall be examined for defects, dampness, cracks, blocked vents etc. and defective moulds discarded. The prefabricated moulds shall be handled withy care as they are fragile and liable to breakage. 4.8.3. During fixing the moulds, it shall be ensured that the centre. line of the rail gap coincides with the centre line of the mould to avoid cross joint. The mould jackets/shoes holding the pre-fabricated mould in a snug fit condition, after fixing, shall be tightened by the application of adequate pressure. Excessive pressure may cause breakage of mould and dropping of sand inside the mould cavity. Care shall be taken during application of adequate pressure. It is essential for the moulds to fit flush to each other across ' the bottom of the rail flange which can be checked by feeling with fingers across the junction of the two halves of the moulds and by looking down the riser aperture. The moulds should touch the bottom of rail foot to ensure proper size of collar at the bottom. 4.8.4 After fixing the moulds, the gap between mould and the rail shall be packed firmly with luting sand to prevent leakage. of liquid weld metal. To protect the rail top table from metal splashes during reaction, the adjacent rail surface on either side of the moulds shall be covered with metal cover or smeared with luting
sand upto 15cm on either side. 4.9 Preheating 4.9.1 After fixing and luting of the moulds, the rail ends shall be uniformly pre-heated throughout the rail section with specially designed air petrol/ compressed air petrol/ oxygen -LPG burner as the case may be. The flame shall be properly adjusted to achieve the desired rail temperature . The pre-heating shall be done from the top of the mould box for stipulated period for welding technique adopted, so as to achieve a temperature of around 60020C. 4.9.2 In welding process using air petrol burner, the compressor tank pressure during operation of the burner shall be maintained at 7 0.70 Kg/cm 2(10010 lbs per sq. inch). In case of pre-heating by Oxy-LPG process, pressure for Oxygen and LPG cylinders shall be adjusted in the range of 7.0-8.0 Kg/cm 2 and 2.0-2.5 Kg/cm 2 respectively. While preheating with OXY-LPG burner LPG supply should be opened first and the gas ingited, thereafter Oxygen supply should be opened. While closing, Oxygen supply should be stopped first followed by LPG supply. The burner shall be properly adjusted during preheating to ensure that the head, web and foot of both the rail ends are heated uniformly. 4.9.3 Preheating time - Preheating time would be about 10 to 12 minutes and 2 to 2.5 minutes for Air-petrol and Oxy-LPG preheating techniques respectively. The actual preheating time would depend upon the rail section and welding technique adopted as given in Annexure-I. 4.9.4 Special emphasis shall be given to the tank pressure efficiency of burner & flame condition for achieving required rail temperature within the stipulated time. From time to time or in case of any doubt with a view to maintain proper quality control, temperature measuring devices like 'Optical pyrometer, Contact type pyrometer' or temperature indicating crayons may be used for measuring rail end temperature just after completion of preheating i.e. after removal of burner. 4.10 Welding 4.10.1 The crucible lined with refractory material (magnesite/crushed alumina slag) and fitted with bottom stone and thimble shall be preheated before making the first weld of the day to ensure freedom from moisture. 4.10.2 Slag shall be cleaned from the crucible after each reaction, if necessary. During cleaning, care shall be taken not to damage the refractory crucible lining. The lining shall be examined regularly and patch repairing, or relining as necessary shall be carried out. 4.10.3 The crucible shall be positioned relative to the pouring gate with respect to its height from the mould after it has been placed on the stand mounted on the rail head. The tap hole in the crucible shall be sealed with closing pin, asbestos powder and slag powder. The portion for the required technique, shall be thoroughly hand mixed and poured into the crucible striking the crucible wall so that the bottom plugging remains undisturbed. The portion shall be coned to the centre of the crucible and a sparkler be placed at the top. The crucible shall then be brought to the proper position over the mould in line with the pouring gate of the mould with a vertical distance of about 50mm between the tap hole and sand,, core /top of the pouring gate. 4.10.4 After preheating the rail joint , the sparkler shall be ignited & inserted in the portion at the centre top to start the reaction. The reaction shall not be vigorous or boiling. By the time the reaction is complete, the burner shall be removed quickly and the gap closed with a dried sand core in case of central pouring to prevent loss of heat and turbulence during flow of metal. The time period between removal of burner and tapping of metal should be as minimum as possible. After the reaction subsides, about 3 seconds shall be allowed for the separation of slag from the metal, which may be judged by looking into the crucible through colored glass to IS:5983. Thereafter, the molten steel shall be tapped into the mould by striking the closing pin with a tapping rod. It shall be ensured that since the commencement of the reaction, thermit steel is tapped within the time limit as specified in Annexure-1 . Care shall be taken to ensure that the crucible does not move from its position during tapping. When pouring is over, the crucible and swivel stand shall be removed and kept aside without disturbing the joint. If the reaction is found to be boiling, the metal shall be outtapped. Vigorous reaction and loose closing of crucible may cause self tapping. In this case also, the metal shall be out tapped. If, in any case, self tapped metal enters the mould, the joint shall be rejected, cut and rewelded. In cases of out tapping, the joint should be cooled to ambient temperature and .the process of welding restarted a fresh. However if temperature can be-measured, the rail end may be heated to an extent so as to achieve temperature of about 60020C and welding of joint may be completed. 4.10.5 After pouring, molten metal shall be allowed to cool and solidify with mould intact for the stipulated time (mould waiting time) depending upon the rail section and ambient temperature. In case of alloy steel
rails, full rail section upto 300 mm on either side of the joint shall be heated by using burner during this period. The mould shoes shall be removed just prior to completion of mould waiting time. The mould waiting time is generally 4 to 6 minutes for 25mm gap joints and 12 minutes for 75mm gap joints. After the mould waiting time has elapsed, the trimming should be done by using weld trimmer. of suitable & approved design without knocking out the mould. List of approved manufacturers of Rail profile weld grinder and Weld trimmer is given at Annexure-4. In the eventuality of sudden failure of weld trimmer , manual chipping may be resorted to. In case of welding of old rails , if it is not possible to use weld trimmer due to flow of metal at rail head, manual chipping should be done. 4.10.6 During the trimming operation, it shall be ensured that the wedges used in aligning are in their proper places without loosening, and they are not removed for at least 20 minutes after stripping. The runner & riser must not be removed until cold, and that too only by knocking towards the rail. 4.10.7 No welding shall be carried out if it is raining. In I case, the rains start while the joint is under execution, immediate arrangement to adequately cover the site shall be made. 5. OPERATIONS SUBSEQUENT TJ2 WELDING 5.1 Post; weld cooling 5.1.1 110 UTS alloy steel rail joints ( Chrome Manganese and Chrome Vanadium type ) are required to be slowly cooled immediately after trimming by fixing an insulation hood (fig.5.1) lined with asbestos, so as to control the cooling rate of the weld zone. The hood must be kept around the joint for at least 20 minutes. 5.1.2 In case of welding of Head Hardend rails, the average hardness of the HAZ of the rail becomes considerably less than the parent rail hardness. This lower hardness is due to transformation of rail steel occurring at cooling rate much lower than that achieved during the original head hardening operation. Such a hardness difference can lead to differential plastic deformation during wheel rail contact which may cause localised cupping. Head Hardend rails, therefore, must be subjected to controlled quenching for a specific time by the arrangement approved for the technique. 5.2 Post weld packing pf sleeper Before the passage of traffic, the wedges used for aligning should be removed and joint sleepers which were shifted to obtain the clear gap of 250mm on either side as per clause 4.6.1 shall be re-shifted to the original location and repacked. Packing of these resifted sleepers should be carried out gently and carefully. 5.3 Passing of traffic The first train should be allowed to pass on the newly welded joint only after 30 minutes have elapsed since pouring of weld metal. Necessary speed restriction shall be observed until the grinding operation is over. 5.4 Grinding 5.4.1 After the excess metal is trimmed off, the grinding of the remaining metal on the rail table and the sides of the rail head shall be carried out only with rail profile guided grinding trolley of approved design. Use of hand files should not be resorted to except in unavoidable circumstances. In the case of in-situ joints, the grinding shall commence only after the sleeper fastenings are refixed, after the removal of wedges. The rail table shall first be ground down to original profile and checked by a 1 m straight edge. This should be followed by grinding of the sides of rail head. The accuracy of grinding shall be checked by using 10 cm straight edge. While grinding, only light pressure should be applied and grinding wheel should be moved to and fro to avoid local over heating. 5.4.2 Tolerances on finished welds. All the finished joints shall be checked to ensure that the joint geometry is within the following tolerances: i) Vertical alignment: 'Variation not more than +1.0mm,-0 mm measured at the .end of one metre straight ii) Lateral alignment: Variation^ not: more than 0.5mm measured at centre of one metre straight edge. in) Finishing of top surface: + 0.4 mm,-0 mm measured at the end of. 10 cm straight edge. iv) Head finishing on sides: 0.3mm over gauge side of the rail head measured at the centre of 10 cm straight edge.
Note: In specific tales, for joint geometry, in case of old rails, dispensations may be permitted by Chief Engineer. The method of checking the geometry of welded joints is illustrated with sketches in Fig. 5.4.2 5.5 Record of Joint Geometry The details of geometry of each joint shall be jointly signed by the firm's and Railway's representative and kept as record. Any joint found not conforming to the above stipulations shall be cut and rewelded, free of dost, by the firm. 5.6 MARKING Each joint shall have a distinctive mark indicating: month, year, Agency, welder's code and weld number of the welded joint in the following manner: joint in the following manner:
** Month ** Last two digits of year. *** Agency *** Specific person number *** Weld No.
This should be done by punching on an Aluminum strip of suitable thickness and dimension of 30 mm x 100 mm which should be fixed to the web of the rail with epoxy adhesive at approximately 300 mm from the joint. The welded joints shall be serially numbered in - a kilometer. Repair welds/additional welds done at a later date may be given continuing weld number in that kilometer. For example, the last thermit weld number in a particular kilometer was 88 and subsequently a thermit weld has been executed, it shall be numbered 89, irrespective of its location in that kilometer. PWI shall maintain THERMIT WELD REGISTER as per proforma given in Annexure - 5. No punch marking should, be done on the rail . 5.7 PAINTING OF THERMIT WELDS 5.7.1 Painting of weld collar should be done on all welds to protect them against corrosion immediately after the welding. The procedure of painting and specification of paint is outlined in Annexure-6 & Annexure -7. 5.7.2 In service painting ( maintenance painting) of thermit welds should be carried as per following frequency: (i) Once in four years in areas not prone to corrosion. (ii) Every year at locations prone to corrosion as defined in para 249 (i) of IRPWM. The frequency may be increased depending on the site conditions. (iii) On condition basis at locations which are prone to severe corrosion (areas of severe corrosion to be decided by territorial Chief Engineer / CTE). ; 5.7.3 The procedure for painting of weld collar for thermit welded rail joints to protect against normal corrosion and severe corrosion is outlined in Annexure-6 and Annexure-7 respectively. 6. ACCEPTANCE TESTS 6.1 Visual Inspection - All the welded joints shall be examined carefully to detect any visible defect like cracks, blow holes etc. Any joint, which shows any visible defect should be rejected. 6.2 Dimensional Check- All finished joints shall be checked for dimensional tolerances which should be within the tolerances as specified in para 5.4.2. 6.3 Ultrasonic Flaw Detection Test All the fusion welded joints shall be ultrasonically tested and accepted by the purchaser or his representative as per the "Procedure for ultrasonic testing of thermit welded rail joints given at Annexure-8. This testing shall be completed as early as possible but in any case before the contractor/welding team leaves the welding site, 6.4 Rewelding of Defective Joints
6.4.1 All the joints found to be defective as per acceptance tests as given in clause 6.1, 6.2, & 6.3 and/or joints failed in guarantee period as specified in para 7.3 will be cut and rewelded by the firm free of cost using their portions, equipments, labour & consumables. 6.4.2 Where one bad joint, is required to be replaced by two new joints, the entire cost of both the joints shall be borne by the firm. 6.4.3 All the rewelded joints should meet the acceptance tests as indicated in Paras,-6.1 to 6.3 7. Sample Test Joint 7.1.1 One out of every 100 joints welded shall be selected at random by the purchaser or by the; inspecting officer within one month of welding and subjected to Hardness, Transverse load/ deflection tests and Porosity as per clause 4.2 of IRST-19-1994 (reproduced partly as Annexure-9 for ready reference) and the joint shall comply with the provisions laid down therein, 7.2 If the sample test joint fails to satisfy any of the requirements of specification IRST-19-1994, the Railway will be at liberty to suspend further welding. However, two more randomly selected joints from the same lot of 100 joints shall be subjected to retests as per clause 4.2 of IRST-19-1994. Both the joints should clear all the tests. If this report is also not satisfactory further welding of joints shall be suspended until the firm's welding technique has been examined and the same satisfies the requirements of clause 4 of IRST-19-1994, The clearance for recommencement of welding shall be given by RDSO. 7.3 GUARANTEE 7.3.1 Rail joints welded by a firm shall be guaranteed against failure for a period of two years from the. date of welding the joints in track or from the date such welded joints made in cess are inserted in the track. Any such welded joint which fails within the guarantee period shall be rewelded free of cost by firm as per stipulations of clause 6.4. 7.3.2 In case of failure of sample test joint (refer Clause 7) , the period of guarantee for 100 joints represented by the sample joint shall be extended for a further period of one year. In case of failure of joints or joints exhibiting signs of failure by cracking within extended period of guarantee, the joints shall be rewelded free of cost by the supplier as per stipulations of Clause 6.4. 7.4 The welded joints with the extended period of guarantee shall be marked 'X' with Yellow paint on the outer side of the web of the rail near the joint in addition to the marking prescribed in clause 5.6. Such marked joints shall be kept under careful observation by the purchaser. 8. OTHER REQUIREMENTS 8.1 Welding shall be supervised by trained welding Supervisor and carried out by trained welder having valid competency certificate from RDSO/ TPP, NR, Lucknow in their possession. 8.2 A welding supervisor shall supervise not more than two welding teams deployed within 50m distance at a time. 8.3 A copy of the thermit welding Manual shall be available with each PWI and at each welding site. 9. PRECAUTIONS While carrying out welding at site, the following precautions shall be observed:i) It should be ensured that the portion being used Matches with type and chemistry of rail, ii) Rail ends should be square, iii) Alignment of rail ends should be perfect as checked by straight edge, iv) Rail ends should be properly cleaned with kerosene oil and wire brushes. v) Stop watch should be provided to the welding supervisor at each welding site, vi) Pressure in the tanks/cylinder should be properly maintained during pre-heating.
vii) Correct gap between rail ends at head, web and foot shall be ensured. viii) Correct preheating time for rail ends shall be ensured. ix) Tightness of clips fitted with hose connections to compressor tank and burner shall be checked before commencing preheating, x) Nozzles of burners shall be cleaned periodically to avoid back-fire. xi) The compressor tank shall be kept at least 2 to 3 metres away from the burner to prevent fire hazard. xii) The tapping shall be done within the time specified for that particular technique. Welding parameters for techniques presently being used are available at Annexure-1 . For special type of welding i.e. 75mm gap, Combination joint etc. the time of reaction & tapping shall be as stipulated by RDSO for that particular welding technique . xiii) Arrangements for giving first aid shall be available at site. xiv) Welders should be provided with gloves and coloured glasses. xv) Boiling portion shall be out tapped. xvi) No moist portion/torned portion bag shall be used for welding. xvii) Dampness in moulds can lead to porosity and early fatigue failure of welds. xviii) Only those contractual agencies as have clearance from the RDSO/Railway Board can execute welding work. Supply of portions must be from sources approved by RDSO/Railway Board. xiv) Many weld failures show evidence of badly cut rail ends. The evenness and verticallity of a rail cut depends solely upon the skill of the welder. With portable disk cutters, very little skill is required to produce good cut. 10. DEFECTS IN A.T. WELDING The major types of defects which can cause weld failure because of improper weld execution are given at Annexure -10. Annexure - 1
ANNEXURE-2
ANNEXURE-3 COMPOSITION QE THERMIT WELDING TEAM (COMPRESSOR TANK-WISE)
Designation Welder Grade I/Grade II Welder Grade III/ Skilled Artisan Helper Khalasi/Khalasi Gangman Numbers 1 2 5 As per work load
Note: The composition of welding team has been framed taking into account that trimming and grinding operation would be done by Weld trimmer and Rail profile grinder. ANNEXURE-4
ANNEXURE-5
ANNEXURE-6 PROCEDURE FOR PAINTING OF WELD COLLAR FOR THERMIT WELDED RAIL JOINTS TO PROTECT AGAINST NORMAL CORROSION A. NEW WELDED JOINT 1. Surface preparation:1.1 Remove dust, loose rust and mill scale by wire brushing. 1.2 Scrub welded area with water to make it free from slag and other water soluble compounds. Make it dry. 2. Painting procedure;2.1 Apply one coat of ready mixed paint; brushing, bituminous, black, lead free, acid, alkali, water and chlorine resisting, conforming to IS:9862-81 on the welded area and 10 cms on either side. 2.2 After 8 hrs. drying, apply a second coat of the same paint. 2.3 Painting should be carried out by brush only. B Maintenance Painting (For old painted joints) 1. Surface Preparation:1.1 Remove dust, dirt, and flaked paint from the welded joint by wire brushing. 1.2 Degrease the surface by. Petroleum hydrocarbon or any other suitable solvent, if oil or grease is present. Allow it to dry. 2. Painting procedure:2.1 Apply one coat of ready mixed paint; brushing, bituminous, Black, Lead free, Acid, alkali & chlorine resistant to IS:9862-81 or bituminous emulsion to IRS P-30-96 on welded area and 10 cms on either side. 2.2 If required, a second coat of the same paint may be applied after a minimum of 8 hours drying. 2.3 Painting should be carried out by brush. 3. The list of approved manufacturers for the above quality of paints is issued every year by DG/M&C/RDSO/LKO to Zonal Railways. ANNEXURB-7 PROCEDURE FOR PAINTING OF WELD COLLAR FOR THERMIT WELDED RAIL JOINTS TO PROTECT AGAINST SEVERE CORROSION A. NEW WELDED JOINT 1. Surface preparation: 1.1 Remove dust, loose rust and mill scale by wire brushing. 1.2 Scrub welded area with water to make it free from slag and other water soluble compounds. Make it dry. 2.0 Painting procedure2.1 Apply one coat of high build Epoxy paint (Two pack) conforming to RDSO specification No. M&C/PCN111/88 on the welded area up to 10cms. on either side. B Maintenance Painting (For old Painted joints) 1. Surface Preparation:-
1.1 Remove dust, dirt, and flaked paint from the welded joint by wire brushing. 1.2 Degrease the surface by Petroleum hydrocarbon or any other suitable solvent, if oil or grease, is present. Allow it to dry. 2. Painting procedure:2.1 Apply one coat of high build Epoxy paint (Two pack) conforming to RDSO specification No. M&C/PCN111/88 on the welded area up to 10cms. on either side. 3. RDSO specification No. M&C/PCN-111/88 has been circulated vide RDSO's letter No. M&C/PCN/II/TR/3 dt.13/14-5-91. NOTE: 1. The Epoxy based paint recommended is a two pack system with a pot life of around 5 hours. Hence prepare only that much quantity of paint which can be consumed in less than 5 hours. 2. The paint should be procured along with the thinner recommended by the manufacturer of the paint. No other thinnner i.e. kerosene oil etc. should be used. 3. The painting shall be carried out by brush only. Brush shall be cleaned, by the thinner after use. 4. The list of probable suppliers is given below as per Letter No. M&C/PCN/II/TR/3 dt. 13/14-5-91 : i) M/s Asian Paints (India) Ltd., "Nirmal' 5th floor, Nariman Point, PB No. 1546, Bombay - 400 421. ii) M/s Addison Paints & Chemicals Ltd., "Huzur Gardens', Sembium Madras - 600 011. iii) M/s Goodlass Nerolac Paints (P) Ltd., Nerolac House , Ganpat Rao Kadaw Marg, Lower Parel, Bombay - 400 013. iv) M/s Shalimar Paints Limited, 13, Camac St. Calcutta - 700 071. v) M/s Berger Paints India Ltd., 32, Chowringee Road, Calcutta - 700 071. ANNRXURE-8 PROCEDURE FOR ULTRASONIC! TESTING OF ALUMINO THERMIC RAIL. JOINTS 1. Scope This procedure covers the requirement of ultrasonic testing of alumino thermic (AT) welded rail joints immediately after execution of the weld. 2. General conditions of test 2.1 Surface preparation After execution of the AT weld, the welded zone shall be dressed properly to facilitate placement of probes and to avoid incidence of spurious signals on the CRT. The rail table shall be dressed to obtain reasonably flat and smooth surface. The flange and the web, up to a distance of 200mm on either side of the weld collar shall be thoroughly cleaned with a wire brush to ensure freedom from dust, dirt, surface unevenness etc. 2.2 Couplant Water/oil/soft grease shall be used as couplant. 2.3 Sensitivity The equipment Sensitivity shall be normal, 70 and 80 probes in accordance with the procedure laid down in para 4. The sensitivity so adjusted shall be considered as normal gain setting and shall be utilised during ATW testing. The sensitivity level shall not be altered during the course of testing.
3. Apparatus required 3.1 Equipment Any model of RDSO approved rail tester shall be considered suitable for testing of AT welded rail joints. 3.2 Probes During ultrasonic examination of AT welded joints, the following probes shall be utilised: a) Normal (0 0) , 4 MHz Double crystal fitted in trolley b) 70, 2 MHz. ,, ,, ,, ,, c) 80, 1.25 MHz Single crystal for hand probing 3.3 Cable One co-axial cable of suitable length for connecting 80 probe to flaw detector shall be used. The length should not exceed more than 5m. 4. Sensitivity setting procedure 4.1 Calibration The equipment shall be set for a depth range of 250mm by manipulating the depth control knob suitably. Each main scale division, therefore, shall correspond to 25mm. 4.2 Test Rail The sensitivity of the ultrasonic equipment shall be set with the help of a standard AT welded rail piece of 1.5m length having a simulated flaw at standard locations as shown in Fig. 1. 4.3 Alignment of probes The alignment of normal and 70 probes fitted with the trolley may be checked by placing the rail tester on the test rail using water/oil as a couplant and ensuring that the probes travel along the vertical axis of the rail. 4.4 Sensitivity setting for 70 probes 4.4.1 Place the trolley on the test rails shown in Fig. l. Keep the switches of all the probes in Off positions and turn the Potentiometer knobs of all the probes to 50% of their highest working range. 4.4.2 Switch on only 70 forward probe and move the equipment towards the drilled hole of 3mm dia. in rail head. When the probe is just in the reflecting range, a pulse corresponding to the hole shall appear on the screen which during onward travelling shall show higher amplitude. The pulse shall appear moving from right to left. The equipment should be progressively moved forward till maximum height of the pulse is obtained. At this location the height of the pulse shall be adjusted to 60% of full screen height by suitably manipulation of the gain knob. 4.4.3 The forward probe shall be switched off and the 70% backward probe shall now be switched on. In this case a flaw signal shall appear moving from left to right. The signal height in this position shall also be adjusted to 60% of full screen height. This can be accomplished through suitable manipulation of relevant potentiometer. 4.4.4 The sensitivity setting for the normal probe has to be done while keeping all other probes in Off position. Switch on only the normal probe and bring it above 3mm dia hole drilled in the head of the test rail. Manipulate the potentiometer control knob to obtain echo height of 60% of full screen height at 1.0 division horizontal scale. 4.4.5 80 probe shall be connected to the socket available in the ultrasonic equipment. The selectors switch may be set to single crystal mode. Move the probe towards the 3mm dia hole drilled at the middle of the flange through in the AT weld and manipulate knobs to Obtain a 60% full screen height on the CRT.
5. Criteria for-defect classification 5.1 Any flaw1 signal obtained by normal probe of 40% height or more from head location shall be treated as a defective AT welded joint and any flaw signal obtained from the normal probe either from the web or the foot location shall also be a cause for rejection of the AT weld. 5.2 In the-case of lack of fusion, inclusions, blow holes etc. in the rail head, moving signal shall be obtained while testing with 70 probe. The position of onset of the signal and its corresponding range on the horizontal screen as well as their maximum amplitude shall be recorded. -. A welded joint showing the moving signal of 40% or more of the full screen height shall be considered as a defective welded joint. 5.3 80 probe shall be placed on the flange at a distance of 180mm corresponding to position 'L' in Fig.2 such that ultrasonic waves are directed towards the weld. The probe shall thereafter be moved slowly in a zigzag pattern towards the weld. A welded joint showing a flaw echo of 40% vertical height or more with the stipulated gain setting shall be treated as a defective welded joint. Similar testing shall be carried out on "C and 'U' region as shown in Fig.2. In these cases also the criteria for rejection shall remain the same. 6. The defective joints based on the criteria mentioned at clause 5 shall not be allowed to remain in service and shall be cropped, re-welded and tested again. This execution shall be done by the contractor free of cost. The re-welded joints shall be scanned ultrasonically again with the same set of acceptance criteria to ensure freedom from any harmful defects.
ANNEXURE-9 EXTRACTS FROM T-19-1994 4.2 Mechanical and Metallurgical tests on test welds 4.2.1 Two new rail pieces of same section and grade, each approximately 750 mm long, shall be used to make test weld joint. The welded joint shall be made as per the technique offered by the manufacturer. The rail table and sides of rail head shall be finished to the geometrical tolerances specified in Clause 18.1. 4.2.2 Hardness test Brinell hardness test shall be' carried out at the welded zone, heat affected zones and parent metal of the rails in ac-cordance with IS:1500, " Method for Brinell Hardness test for steel ". The test shall be done on the top surface of the head of the test weld with a ball of 10 mm dia and a test load of 3000 kg maintained for 10 sees. The average hardness number (of two readings) determined for the weld metal at locations shown as "A' in Fig. l shall be within +20 -0 HB of the hardness values of rail as shown in table 1. The average hardness number (of two readings) on each heat affected zone at locations shown as B1 and C in Fig. l shall be within ()20 HB for locations B and ( + )20 HB for locations C of the actual hardness of the parent rail.
Table-1
Type of rail Average Hardness (BHN) 72 UTSrail 230 90 UTS rail 265 UTC Cr-Mn or Cr- Head Hard ened V alloy steel rail Rail 310 365
4.2.3 Transverse breaking load test: 4.2.3.1 The test weld shall be supported on cylindrical or semi-cylindrical supports having a distance of one metre between them from centre to centre. The weld shall be at the centre of the span and loaded in such a manner that the foot of the rail is in tension. The diameter of mandrel and the supports shall be between 30 to 50mm. The load shall be gradually increased (rate of loading shall not exceed 2.5 t/sec) till rupture occurs. The test weld shall withstand a minimum load and show corresponding minimum deflection as stipulated in Table-2 for different sections and types of rails. TABLE-2
4.2.3.2 If the fracture does not occur through weld, a slice shall be cut transversely at the weld and etched in boiling 1:1 Hydrochloric acid for about 20 minutes to determine casting defects if any. 4.2.3.3 The fractured surface of the weld, or in case where macro-etching is done on transverse section through the joint, shall not show defects such as blow holes, porosity and inclusions etc. exceeding total permissible area of defect shown in Table-3. However, the size of any individual defect shall not exceed 2mm diameter. The defects should not be interconnected and none of these shall extend upto the outer surface of the weld. There shall not be any lack of fusion. The fractured surface shall also not show the presence of accretions or mirror like structure and shall be crystalline in appearance. TABLE-3 Area of permissible defects
Rail Section 60 75 90 52 60 R R R kg kg Permissible total area of defect (mm 2) 19.0 23.7 28.5 33.4 38.4
4.3 Retests 4.3.1 If the results of any of the tests referred to in clause 4.1 and 4.2 are found to be unsatisfactory, the batch will stand rejected. However, retests can be carried out at the manufacturer's request. These retests shall
be carried out as per para 4.1 and 4.2 on twice the original sample size. 4.3.2 If the results of all the retest samples are satisfactory, the batch represented by the sample portions shall be accepted. If any sample fails to meet the requirements of any of the tests, the batch shall be rejected. ANNEXURE -10 MAJOR DEFECTS IN AT WELDING BECAUSE OF IMPROPER WELD EXECUTION
Figures 3.1 (a), (b) & (c)
Figure 4. 7.1.1 (a) , (b) & 4.7.1.2
Figure 5.1
Figure 5.4.2
SALIENT FEATURES 0F REVISED MANUAL FOR WELDING OF RAIL JOINTS BY THE ALUMINO-THERMIC PROCESS (1999) 1. As Conventional method of Alumino-Thremic (AT) welding has been discontinueed on Indian Railways except for 60R rails, accordingly the revised manual provides for only SKV AT welding. (Clause 1.5) 2. A para on Shelf life of portion1 has been included, which brings out the importance of proper packing and storage of AT portions. Procedure to be adopted for use of portions beyond two years since the date of manufacture has also been laid down (Clause 4.2.2) 3. Detailed instructions on painting of weld collar immediately after welding and also its in-service painting have been laid down. In case of areas where severe corrosion is observed epoxy painting has been provided for. (Clause 5.7) 4. Course of action to be adopted for welding of rails through approved portion manufacturer, labour contracting firms and departmental welders, in case of large scale welding, casual welding and welding forming part of turn-key projects have been outlined. (Clause 4.1.1) 5. In case of secondary rail renewal, AT welding by end cropping so as to eliminate both bolt holes has been specified. In case of use of rail panels released from LWR/CWR territory, cropping of rail ends so as to eliminate heat affected zone has been specified. (Clause 3.3(xi)). 6. Use of 880 grade portions for AT welding where grade 710 (72UTS) and Grade 880 (90UTS) rails form junctions in unavoidable circumstances has been specified (Clause 3.3(viii)) 7. The composition of welding team has been revised keeping in view introduction of SKV welding and use of weld trimmer & rail profile grinder.(Annexure-3) 8. A list of defects giving causes and preventive action to be taken to avoid the same has been briefly outlined. (Annexure-10) 9. As only grade 880 rails are being produced, AT welding by flame cutting/ gas cutting of rails specially for wide gap welding has been deleted and only sawing or abrasive disc cutting has been provided. (Clause 3.3(vi)) 10. Welding parameters of AT welding techniques (As on 31.12.97) including welding techniques under development for various approved firms have been laid down. (Annexure-1) 11. Provision of fixing an Aluminium strip with distinctive weld number on the web of rail by epoxy based adhesive has been laid down. (clause 5.6) 12. Guarantee period and other provisions wherever required as provided in IRST-19-1994 have been included to update the manual in line with IRST-19-1994, (Clause 7.3) 11. List of approved manufacturers of Rail profile weld grinder and Weld trimmer has been-included. (Annexure-4)

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