Understanding and discussion on fatigue crack in wheel rims

Wheel, which works under serious condition on the trainset, is the key component affecting the service safety of trainset. Besides manufacturing defect, tread defect and inner crack of wheel are the common defects generated during service. Of which the rim fatigue crack is the most common one. Failure analysis indicates that the inclusion has great influence on the initiation of fatigue crack in rim. By analysis the cause of rim crack and its rule of propagation, the paper summarize the wheel failure mode in complex service condition (high speed, heavy load) and put forward the resolution strategy.