Licensing deal
VTT Technical Research Centre, Finland, has signed a licensing agreement with Shanxi Fenxi Heavy Industry based in Tayian, China, giving the Chinese company exclusive rights to VTT’s proprietary Precision Spray Forming technology for the renewal of deteriorated train wheels.
The technology, developed by VTT Senior Research Scientist Yunfeng Yang, consists in spraying deteriorated train wheels with molten alloy which rapidly solidifies and forms a fine microstructure with high workability and wear performance.
The technique, initially developed to manufacture cast moulds, is time- and cost-effective, reducing production time from months to days and cost by 30 to 50 per cent, says VTT.
This agreement will promote sustainable development in China, whose vast railway network stretches over 88,000 kilometres and carries 650,000 freight cars and 42,600 passenger cars.
The equipment constructed using this technology will allow 100,000 wheels to be fixed each year, and under the terms of the agreement VTT will also be planning and implementing the process.
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