REBS Wheel Flange Lubrication for Rail Vehicles

Wheel Flange Lubrication for rail, tramway and underground rail systems

The air is supplied by the vehicle's existing compressed air network, or if no compressed air is available, we can supply small compressor units for this purpose.

The system has proved its effectiveness in many years of continuous use. The work and expense involved in installing our system is extremely small, since the technology is very simple, and simplicity brings economic advantage, along with reliability.

Problem

Wear and noise (high level noise especially in curves) between wheel and rail in vehicles of every type.

Demands on the lubrication system

lubricant not to be hurled off
accurate application of lubricant avoids deposit on contact and brake surface
low maintenance through simple components
lower air consumption
non-polluting lubricants, even with solid content

Principle of the wheel flange lubrication

The lubricant is forced into a mixer unit by a pneumatic-driven piston pump. After the mixer, turbulent air transports the lubricant along the inner wall of the pipe via patented Turbolub distributors. The end of each pipe has a narrowed section (nozzle) where the air is accelerated, thereby removing the lubricant from the wall of the pipe and forcing it out as fine spray. The fine droplets are applied equally to the wheel flange without being thrown off.
The contact between wheel and rail deposits some lubricant onto the rail, and it is then transferred to the following wheels. As the capacity of many of the existing compressors in rail vehicles is limited, continuous spraying is impossible but has to be carried out in cycles.
Lubrication in cycles may take place after a certain distance that has been covered or a certain period of time has elapsed, or both. Of course, the lubrication can also be controlled curve-dependent.

REBS has developed "Rematic", a freely programmable control system, especially for this application.
We recommend that wheels are lubricated after a certain interval of time. In this way less lubricant is used, as the vehicles generally travel faster on straight stretches of the route. In curves, however, when the speed is lower, the wheels require more lubrication. The control system is easily installed, even when it is being added to a vehicle already in use.

REBS spray nozzles ensure that the lubricant is applied finely and equally to the flange. The nozzles can be tilted and are mounted on a rotating frame.

Advantages

Separate control of lubricant spraying and dosing process. This allows the lubricant to be applied very thinly and prevents it from being thrown off by the centrifugal force.
Very small quantities of lubricant are required, especially of those with a solid content (as low as 0.5 - 1.5 litres per 10 000 km).
The distributors and nozzles contain no moving parts.
The nozzles do not drip.

Solution

The patented REBS Wheel Flange Lubrication System.

The lubricant decomposes biologically and therefore causes no pollution. It is sprayed onto the wheel using a nozzle without making contact. The lubricant coat is less than 0.001 mm thick and between 10 and 15 mm wide. Small quantities are vapourized into tiny droplets within five seconds and sprayed upon the wheel flange. The wheel rotates many times while the lubricant is being sprayed. The air consumption is approximately 3 litres per nozzle per lubrication cycle.
The system is perfectly suited for new types of flange lubricant with solid content as the Turbolub distributors and nozzles contain no moving parts which may clog.

Lubricants with solid content considerably increase the life time of wheel and rail.