Austrian plantmaker Siemens VAI Metals has announced that it has signed a cooperation agreement with Italian technical center Centro Sviluppo Materiali S.p.A. (CSM) to develop production processes and technology packages for rolling and processing high-quality steel rails.
The cooperation agreement to be effective for two years in the first stage aims to improve overall toughness as well as rail head surface quality. The companies will develop customized technology packages which will enable rolling mill operators to produce rails that meet the current and future demand of international rail transport.
According to Siemens VAI's statement, the cooperation between Siemens and CSM will initially concentrate on developing a system for hardening rail heads. Starting from the metallurgical characteristics required for rail heads, technology packages will be created for the rolling and treatment lines in rail rolling mills, which will be suitable for both new plants as well as for integration into existing rolling mills.