Type and Formation Mechanism of Railway Wheel and Tire Tread Spall

The railway wheel and tire delivered by the manufacturer should live up to the technical specification but they always have occurred some different kinds of failures, including primarily the tread wear, fatigue crack, tread spall, mass lose and wheel tire separation. The application of wheel and tire show that the wheel spalled tread is the major failure. So is in foreign countries.Wheel and tire spalling is a kind of complicated failures; there are many factors leading to it, such as the defection of the material of wheel and tire, variance of running, or the structure design of locomotive car. So, it is important to distinguish the properties of spalling failure correctly so as to find the reason and to prevent it, and to ensure the safe running of locomotive and car. According to the characteristics of typical spalling, using the failure analysis method, this paper summarizes four types of wheel and tire treads spalling, and describes two ways of braking spalling generation. This paper explains every kinds of spalling type with the metallurgical phase photos, and puts forward their characteristics, analyzes the formation mechanism. On the same wheel or tire, two or more spalling types mentioned above can occur. In that case, further analysis and decision should be made according to the experience and failure exhibition.