Assembly technology of insulating joints with combined (metal-composite) fishplates on functioning railway tracks.

Designated function: To realize the assembly of insulating joints with combined (metal-composite) fishplates on functioning railway track, during 2,5 hour traffic interruption, and in continuously welded rail unloaded in the middle of railway track, during 30-minute traffic interruption.

Advantages:

— facilitation of major repairs,
— reduction of welding points of continuously welded rail,
— assembly of reliable insulating joint structure at any place.

Technical data

The proposed technology provides the assembly of insulating joints with combined (metal-composite) fishplates on functioning railway track, during 2,5 hour traffic interruption, and in continuously welded rail unloaded in the middle of railroad track, during 30 minute traffic interruption.

The insulating joint with metal-composite fishplates possesses of greater rigidity, secures shearing force not less than 230 tones/force and completely demagnetizes rail ends.

The preparation of the insulating joint elements for gluing, preparation of adhesive mixture, assembly of the joint is realized by trained and certified groups of workers at dry weather or under the shed, which protects the zone of assembly from direct impact of moisture.

Prior to interruption period, fishplate’s metal sidewalls are sanded up to the state of pure metal with angle-polishing machine for subsequent installation of insulating joint between the continuously welded rail unloaded in the middle of railroad track. All preparation works, including polishing of rails and fishplates by polishing machine, can be done without traffic interruption, in gaps between the passing trains. Degreasing of treated surfaces of rails and fishplates, glue application and joint assembly are realized in the time gap between the trains movement not less than 30 minutes.

After the fishplates’ surfaces are prepared for gluing (abrasive treatment, cleaning and degreasing), there should be realized the control of electric resistance of each fishplate. Then, there should be cleaned up the rails surface which is to be glued.

	Installation is carried out on functioning railway track during 2,5 hour traffic interruption.
	The joint filler is installed in a joint gap and it is pressed by rails shifting. Rails and fishplates surfaces to be glued are degreased and dried within 10÷15 minutes. During the drying process of degreased surfaces, the gluing composition is being prepared. Gluing mixture for each side of insulating joint is packed in a separate tare.

Gluing composition is to be applied and made even with palette-knife along all the fishplate surface and is to be applied, as a thin priming glue layer, to rail surfaces to be glued. Then, the insulating joint is assembled.

After the completion of the technological process , the traffic movement is to be resumed.