Why investment casting
Brake, coupling and interior hardware is cast in tough steels with impact properties verified and full records kept for the service life.
Components
- Brake system parts
- Door and coupler mechanisms
- Interior hardware
- Pantograph components
Materials
Low-alloy steels, stainless steels, aluminium.
Frequently used alloys
| Grade | Type | Standard |
|---|---|---|
| G20Mn5 (1.6220) | Carbon-manganese steel for low-temperature pressure parts | EN 10293, EN 10213 |
| 4140 | Cr-Mo quench-and-temper steel 42CrMo4 type | SAE J404 / AISI 4140 (cast: ASTM A732 Gr. 8Q) |
| WCB | Weldable carbon steel for pressure parts A216 WCB | ASTM A216/A216M |
| CF8 | Austenitic stainless steel, cast 304 type 304 type | ASTM A351/A351M, A743/A743M |
Typical requirements
Fatigue loading, long service life and documented traceability; railway-specific supplier qualification where required.
- Impact toughness at low temperature
- Surface crack testing
- Long record retention
Related engineering topics
Non-destructive testing
NDT methods for investment castings: liquid penetrant, magnetic particle, radiographic and ultrasonic testing, computed tomography, leak testing, personnel qualification and acceptance levels.
Documentation
Documentation for investment castings: EN 10204 inspection documents 2.1, 2.2, 3.1 and 3.2, material certificates, dimensional and NDT reports, heat-treatment records and traceability.
Material testing
Verification of cast alloys: spectrometric chemical analysis, PMI, tensile, hardness and impact testing, metallography, ferrite measurement, corrosion tests and heat-treatment verification.