PROCEDURE FOR VISUAL & PHYSICAL INSPECTION OF

WHEELS OF

‘ON’ TRACK MACHINES

NOVEMBER-2023

URC Capacity Building Project

 PROCEDURE FOR VISUAL & PHYSICAL INSPECTION OF WHEELS OF
‘ON’ TRACK MACHINES

Track machine wheels are solid wheels and follows the Wear adopted or Worn
wheel profile as per annexure-I.

Following inspections shall be performed on wheels of ‘ON’ track machines.

1. ULTRASONIC INSPECTION

Wheels of ‘ON’ Track Machines shall be tested ultrasonically at the time of

initial procurement only.

2. VISUAL INSPECTIONS

During service, the wheels of track machines shall be inspected visually at least
once in a year or once after every 1000 engine running hours whichever is earlier.
.

i. Burnt Rim
ii. Shattered rim
iii. Spread Rim
iv. Shelled Tread
v. Thermal Cracks
vi. Built-up Tread
vii. Cracked or Broken Flange
viii. Cracked or Broken Plate
ix. Cracked Hub
x. Loose Wheels
xi. Wheels which have been Over Heated

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 VISUAL INSPECTIONS

i) BURNT RIM

If a portion of flange or rim breaks off, the wheel must be removed from
service. The break shows rough granular fracture, this would indicate, in a
wrought steel wheel, that it has been overheated in the process of
manufacture.

ii) SHATTERED RIM

The wheel that shows a circumferential crack on the front or back face of
the rim must be removed from service. Wheels subject to shattered rim
failure should be inspected closely for such cracks so that when present,
the wheel may be removed before a piece of tread actually breaks out.

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iii) SPREAD RIM

Spreading of the rim is usually accomplished by a flattening of the tread and

may or may not have cracks or shelling on the tread. If the rim widens out
for a short distance on the front face, an internal defect may be present and
the wheel must be withdrawn from service.

iv) SHELLED TREAD

The wheel has a shelled tread when pieces of metal break out as shown
in figure and must be removed from service. Unless this defect has
progressed too far, it can generally be turned out taking care that all
evidence of the defect is eliminated before putting such wheels in service.
Where excessive shelling occurs, it is recommended that remedial
measures be taken since poor tracks, excessive speed, excessive loads
or use of wheels of insufficient hardness can contribute to such defects.

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v) THERMAL CRACKS
Intense brake heating cause thermal cracks which occur cross-wise on the
tread and may be confined to tread or flange as shown in fig.1 or in extreme
cases, may go through the entire tread and into the plate as shown in fig.2.
True thermal cracking is a serious defect and in any stage of development
it is the cause for the immediate removal of the wheel from service.
Shallow thermal cracks can, however, be removed by machining, taking
extra care to ensure that the crack has been completely eliminated in the
operation.
Wheels found with radial cracks on the back or front face of the rim should
be removed from service, since such cracks often originate in hot stamp
marks, lathe dog or chuck marks or miscellaneous nicks or surface defects
on the rim faces which tend to progress and may ultimately lead to wheel
failures of the types shown in Fig.2.
Fig.3 shows shelling and spalling between thermal cracks. As compared
with true shelling, spalling is the result of small portions of metal breaking
out between or adjacent to fine thermal checks which in turn may be
associated with small skid marks or “chain sliding”. Spalling normally is not
considered as a condemnable defect as it can be removed by machining
the treads down to sound metal.

Fig.1

Fig.2

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 Fig.3
vi) BUILT-UP TREAD

This is caused by metal from the tread or the brake shoe being heated to
the plastic state and then dragged or built - up around the tread. The
condition is generally associated with sliding on the rail. Figures illustrate
examples of built–up tread defects.

vii) CRACKED OR BROKEN FLANGE

The wheel is condemnable and must be removed from service, when

cracked or broken flange develop. However, such defects are rare on
steel wheels. Fig. below shows a chipped flange on a cast iron wheel.

viii) CRACKED OR BROKEN PLATE

Cracks in the plate develop due to stresses from service loads and braking
in combination with internal stresses in the wheel and possibly surface
defects in areas subject to high stresses. Most plate cracks are progressive
in nature and it is important that they be detected in their early stages.
Following figure shows one that has progressed through the entire tread
section.

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ix) CRACKED HUB

This failure usually occurs during mounting, due to the causes mentioned
below:

a) Stresses set up in the hub during manufacture of the wheel.

b) Defective material.
c) Improper machine shop practice such as
i) Wheels with tapered bore or rough bore
ii) Tapered or short wheel seats on the axle
iii) Excessive allowance for fitting wheels to the axles

d) Hub failures may also originate from thermal cracks on the hub face
which are similarly radial in direction. Hub thermal cracks may
occur when the hub face is used as a thrust bearing or where there
is accidental rubbing on the hub face.

x) LOOSE WHEELS

Wheels must be removed from service if they show indications of being

loose on the axle. It is important to watch for evidence of any wheel
movement on the axle wheel seat.

xi) WHEELS WHICH HAVE BEEN OVER HEATED

Wheels which have been over-heated as a result of being in a fire should

be scrapped. Wheels which show evidence or severe over-heating in
service from stuck or dragging brakes should be removed and scrapped.
Such wheels are potentially dangerous because they become highly
stressed and, if thermal cracked subsequently, may fail instantaneously.

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 3. PHYSICAL INSPECTIONS

During service, the wheels of track machines shall be inspected physically

at least once in a year, preferably during IOH/POH of the machine for
following defects.
i) Thin Flange
ii) Sharp flange
iii) Worn root
iv) Deep flange
v) False Flange/Hollow Tyre
vi) Flat places/skidded
vii) Wheel tread diameter
viii) Wheel Gauge

Reaching of condemning limit for defects i) to vi) mentioned above are

checked with the help of tyre defect gauge.Defect as in item (vii) is checked
by a wheel dia Gauge (like Trammel gauge) and (viii) with wheel distance
gauge.

As far as possible, wheels should be re-profiled to original profile as per

annexure-I or any of the intermediate profiles as shown in annexure-IV.
Wheel diameter after profiling should not be less than the condemning
wheel diameter. Various condemning limits and method of checking, using
tyre defect gauge, are detailed below

i) THIN FLANGE

When the flange thickness reduces to less than 16 mm, the condition is
called thin flange. Thickness of a flange is normally reckoned at a distance
of approximately 13 mm from the flange tip. The thin flange is checked as
shown in sketch below.

THIN FLANGE

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ii) SHARP FLANGE

When the radius of flange tip reduces to less than 5 mm, the condition is
called sharp flange. The sharp flange is checked as shown in sketch below.
Sharp Flange

SHARP FLANGE

iii) WORN ROOT

When the radius of the root curve reduces to less than 13 mm, thecondition
is called worn root. The worn root is checked as shown in sketchbelow.

WORN ROOT
iv) DEEP FLANGE

When the depth of the flange, as measured from the flange tip to a point
on the wheel tread 63.5 mm away from the back of wheel becomesgreater
than 35 mm, the condition is called deep flange. Deep flange is checked as
shown in sketch below.

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 DEEP FLANGE

v) FALSE FLANGE/HOLLOW TYRE

When the projection of the outer edge of the wheel tread below the hollow
of the tyre exceeds 5 mm then the outer edge of the wheel is called false
flange, and the worn tread is called hollow tyre. False flange/hollow tyre is
checked as shown in sketch below.

FALSE FLANGE/HOLLOW TYRE

vi) FLAT TYRE

The maximum permissible length of flat on the wheel tyre is 50 mm. Flat
tyre is checked as shown in sketch below.

FLAT TYRE

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