Tamping Unit

Objective

Video filming of tamping unit overhauling is

done to develop comprehensive procedure not only
for learning of the trainees but also with a view to
educate the contractors working in CPOH. Even
minute details are to be deliberated and screened to
develop film for complete process of disassembling,
checking, repair / replacement of parts, assembling,
inspection and testing in a sequential order. For
each identified stage, scripting is to be developed
first followed by screening. Duration of film is to be
preferably not less than 45 minutes.
 Video Filming on Overhauling of
Tamping Unit
SCOPE:
1. Tamping Unit: Definition, Function and Types
2. Tamping Unit: Working Principle
3. Tamping Unit: Construction and Operation
4. Tamping Unit: Progress and Rating
5. Tamping Unit: Sub-Assemblies & Parts
6. Tamping Unit of CSM
7. Tamping Unit: Common failures
8. Tamping Unit: Common Overhauling Steps
9. Tamping Unit Overhauling procedures.
10. Tamping Unit Overhauling Guidelines
11. Filming.
 Definition, Function & Types
Tamping Units are the major assemblies of a Tamping
machine. These are subjected to the highest stress. Their
operating reliability is therefore a major factor for cost-
efficient track maintenance. Their functions are:
– to ‘pack’ the ballast under the sleepers.
– to support the track in position.
– to allow smooth running of the trains.
Successful tamping is achieved by creating a flat topped
pyramid of compacted ballast under the sleepers. Tamping
Units are of the following types:
– Unomatic (single-sleeper) tamping unit
– CSM / Duomatic (two-sleeper) tamping unit
– 09-3X (three-sleeper) tamping unit
– Unimat (switch) tamping unit
Unomatic (single-sleeper) Tamping Unit

It is equipped with eight tamping tines arranged in pairs (16 tools)

which produce a new sleeper bearing surface at each rail-sleeper
intersection.
 Duomatic (two-sleeper) Tamping Unit

It is equipped with a total of 16 tamping tines arranged in pairs (32

tools). These go into action at each penetration to tamp two sleepers
simultaneously.
 09-3x (three-sleeper) Tamping Unit

Three-sleeper Tamping Single-sleeper Tamping

It is able to tamp three sleepers per tamping cycle. The tamping unit
is divided into sections so that it is possible to switch over to single
sleeper tamping at any time.
 Unimat (switch) Tamping Unit

This unit has four side tilting tamping tines. By additional lateral
displacement of the tamping units in the machine frame, it is
possible to tamp the entire switch, including the frog area.
Connecting track or station tracks can also be tamped.
 Working Principle of Tamping Unit
• Tamping unit are made to vibrate using eccentric
shaft rotated by hydraulic motor at frequency of 35hz
makes the ballast as semi fluid results in easy
penetration of tool up to the required depth and packs
the ballast under sleeper on non synchronous equal
pressure.
• Non synchronous equal pressure is a concept in
which pressure is applied equally by all cylinders to
the tamping tools with allowing them to move
independently according to the resistance offered by
the ballast.
• Tamping depth has great influence in packing of
ballast, if the depth exceeds or shorten than the
optimum value perfect tamping can’t be achieved.
 Constructional Details CSM Tamping Unit
• Tamping Bank - 1
• Tamping Arm Big & Small - 4 each
• Vibration shaft - 1
• Guide rod - 2
• Sqzing Cylinder Big & Small - 4 each
• Flywheel - 2
• Oil reservoir - 2
• Plate guard - 1
• Hydraulic distributor - 1
• Bearings- 11
• Bushes - 20
 Constructional Details CSM Tamping Unit
TAMPING BANK

Tamping bank is the main frame of tamping unit in which all

the parts are assembled. It requires two no. per machine.
 Tamping Arms

Big Arm Small Arm

Four small and four big tamping arm present in a unit.

 Vibration Shaft And Its Accessories

Vibration shaft is an eccentric shaft. It is used to generate required

vibration to penetrate tamping tool in the ballast. Vibration shaft is
fixed in tamping bank, squeezing cylinders are mounted on vibration
shaft.
 GUIDE RODS

Through guide rod tamping unit is connected with the

machine and it guide the tamping unit during up/down
movement
 Small Squeezing Cylinders

Small Male Small Female

Small squeezing cylinders are connected with small arm is
used to squeeze the ballast in addition to that it will transfer
vibration from vibration shaft to the tool. A pair of male and
female small cylinders present in unit.
 Big Squeezing Cylinders

Big Male Big Female

Big squeezing cylinders are connected with Big arm is used
to squeeze the ballast in addition to that it will transfer
vibration from vibration shaft to the tool. A pair of male
and female Big cylinders present in unit.
 Fly Wheel Motor Side

Flywheel is used to store energy. It is connected with

vibration motor using part clutch.
 Fly Wheel Outer Side

It is fitted opposite to motor side. It is used to store energy.

 Cover Guard outer

Breather assembly Oil Guage

It is used to cover the out side fly wheel and also as oil
reservoir for the lubrication of center arm pin assembly and
main bearing. Each reservoir has one oil level guage and one
breather assembly.
 Plate Guard

It holds the vibration motor in perfect alignment and cover

the flywheel in motor side
 Vibration motor

Vibration shaft is used to rotate vibration shaft at 2100

rpm with 150 kg/sq. cm hydraulic pressure, it converts
hydraulic energy to mechanical energy.
 Hydraulic Distributor

It distributes the pressurized hydraulic oil and supplies to

squeezing cylinders through hydraulic hoses. It is mounted
on tamping bank.
 Bearings

6220
NU2220

NJ2216 NJ219
NJP2216

Bearings are used on vibration shaft for easy rotation 10

roller bearing & 1 ball bearing are used.
 35mm pin

It is used to connect squeezing cylinders with tamping arm,

it is fitted in tamping arm after proper cooling in freezer
requires 12 per unit. it moves with tamping arm while
vibrating/squeezing .
 55mm pin

It is used to hold tamping arm, it is fitted in tamping arm

after proper cooling in freezer at proper interference
requires 8 per unit, it moves with tamping arm while
vibrating/squeezing .
 Bronze Bushes
Bushes for Guide Column

Bushes are used in tamping unit guide rod bore for free
movement of tamping unit in up down movement. it
requires 4 per unit.
 Bronze Bushes
Bushes for Center Arm Pin

It is used for center arm pin bush movement it requires 8

bushes per unit. It is made by centrifugal casting method.
it is pressed in main frame of tamping unit to hold
tamping arm.
 Steps in Overhauling

• Survey of Tamping unit.

• Internal Inspection/Checking and repair of
– Tamping bank
– Tamping arm
– Flywheel
– Plate guard (cover guard)
– Bottom fixing plate
– Hydraulic distributor
• Assembling
• Testing
Dismantled Tamping Bank
 SURVEY OF TAMPING UNIT
Crack Testing In Tamping Bank

M10 thread Main bore

85mm bore

Crack test of all welding joints by DPT

If there is crack at any joint attend it, check main bore for oviality make bore
oversize, weld & re-bore. If thread m10 is damaged make new thread on same
PCD.
Making Bore of 85mm dia for Center Arm Pin

85mm dia
If 85 mm bore is oval make it oversize
 Visual & Dimensional Checking Of Tamping Arm

FACES THREAD

WORN OUT BORE & FACES

If bores & faces got worn out make it oversize, weld & re-bore/grind the face
maintain the bore size within 35 mm diameter & 55 mm diameter & inner face
within 124 mm. Also attend thread m16 if required.
 Visual & Dimensional Checking Of
Flywheel

THREAD & KEY WAY CHECK WORN OUT BORE

If thread damaged drilling & tapping has to be done on same PCD for worn out
bore/key way make the bore oversize, weld & re-bore it. Finish it with dynamic
balancing.
 Visual Checking Of Plate Guard
Fit bolt bore should be proper.
Inner face of plate should be fine Fit bolt bore
machined/grinned.
Motor bore should locate in
center line of main bore of
tamping unit.
Thread m16 should be proper.
There should not be any
crack/damage.
THREAD M16

Motor bore
 Visual Check Of Distributor

DAMAGED PIPE

In distributor visual includes checking of steel-pipe, threads of ports, & plates.

If these parts got broken/damage it can be repaired/replaced.
Visual & Dimensional Check Of Bottom Fixing
Plate
If the bore is not in circular
shape, make it over size weld
it & re-bore it to required
shape.

BORE
Overhauling& Assembling of Tamping bank
1.CLEANING OF TAMPING BANK

Clean the complete unit and tape all the threaded

holes.
 checking Bore of 210mm Dia.

Check bore dia it must be 210mm & also check thread.

 Checking the Bore of 85mm dia for Center
Arm Pin

85mm dia
Measure & mark all bores and make bronze bush outer dia to suit
them also measure guide rod bush bore and make according to bush
outer diameter.
 Checking & matching of plate guard

Check the plate guard after fitting in tamping unit, The

bore of plate guard should be in center line of main bore
also check and correct fit bolt bores
 Machining of Bronze Bush

Providing spiral grooves in the inner diameter of the PB

bush for oil lubrication.
 Pressing of PB Bush

Press the machined guide column bush inside the 90mm bore using proper
fixture by applying locktite.
 Pressing of Centre arm bush

Press the machined PB bush inside the 85 mm bore using proper fixture and
suitable locktite.
 Matching of PB Bush with steel bush

After fixing the bronze bushes make it bore suitable to steel bush
using boring machine consequently bore the guide rod column.
 Fixing of Radial Seals

Fix radial seal on each bush.

 Hanging of Tamping Arm

Lift the Tamping arm by crane provide pressure disc. expand

tamping arm with help of fixture keep arm with proper position &
insert pilot pin.
 Hanging of Tamping Arm

By following the same procedure all arms are fixed in the bank.
 Oil Leakage Checking

Oil leakage check carried out by fixing and connecting all oil hoses
using SAE150 oil.
 Assembling of vibration shaft with bearing

Bearings are fixed in vibration shaft by heating the inner race at 900 C
 Fixing of Vibration Shaft

Fix the vibration shaft in bank an tight all the bolts of bearing housing
using lopcktite 222 at the torque of 40 Nm
 Checking of Main Bearing Clearance

Check the main bearing clearance it should be minimum 30 micron.

 Oil Leakage Testing of Main oil seal

Check oil leakage from main oil seal by rotating vib. Shaft at 2200 RPM for the
period of two hrs.
Fixing of Bearing in Small male Squeezing
Cylinder

Fix the NJ2216, NJP 2216 bearing in Small male Squeezing Cylinder with
bearing housing 2E-22-11.tight the cover plate by bolts at 40 Nm using
locktite 222E.
Fixing of Bearing in Small female Squeezing
Cylinder

Fix the NJ219 bearings in Cylinder with the cover plate by bolts at
40 Nm using locktite 222E.
 Hanging of Small Squeezing Cylinder

Fix the inner races of bearings of the squeezing cylinders on the vibration shaft
after heating it at 900C & insert all the squeezing cylinders.
 Fixing of Steel Bush NJ219 with
inner race

Heat the steel bush to 900 c with bearing inner race and insert in the
vibration shaft.
Hanging of Big Squeezing Cylinder

With help of crane hang all the big squeezing cylinders in the bank.
 Setting of teflon washer

Measure the gap and provide same size teflon washers.

Connecting sq. cylinders & tamping
arm with pilot arm
 Cooling of pins

Keep all the pins in freezer for cooling.

 Fixing of proper 55mm pin

Fix all the pins in correct position after proper cooling

Fixing of proper 35mm pin
 Heating of flywheel in oil bath
heater

Flywheel is heated using automatic temperature control oil

bath heater upto 230-240 0 C for 32 hrs
 Fixing of flywheels

After heating fix the fly wheel in the position using crane setup.
 Fixing of part clutch assembly

Part clutch assembly is used to hold the fly wheel and vibration motor in
correct position.
 Fixing of plate guard in motor side

Plate guard is fitted using proper bolts to guard the fly wheel.
 Fixing of plate guard in outer side

Fix the plate guard in outer side and fill the oil connect the hose for the
lubrication point
 Fixing of Hydraulic distributors

Fix the distributor block in the bank

Connection of hoses
Greasing and Lubrication
 Fixing of vibration motor

Fix the vibration motor in the tamping unit

Loading in test bench
 Pressure setting

Keep squeezing pressure at 130 kg/sqcm

 RPM setting

Test the tamping unit two hrs for low rpm of 1000-1100& two hrs at
high rpm of 2000-2100 bearing temperature should not increase
more than 950c & center pin of dia 55 mm should not get heat up.
 Testing of tool infringement

Check the tool infringement at 2000 RPM for a moment.

 Fixing of Guide Column

Heat the bottom plate in heater, insert guide column and fix with plate
Unit fitted with Guide Columns
Painting and Dispatch
 Common Defects in Tamping Unit
1. Play in Tamping Arm
i) Worn out Bore of Center Arm Bush
Worn out bush
Improper lubrication
Breakage of lugs
Defective seal
Damage of piston
 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

• Following staff have made their valuable

contributions in finalization of the Video Filming:

1. Sh Daud Ahmed, SE/CPOH

2. Sh T. Saravanan, Trainee CE – 26

3. Sh B. Shankaran, Trainee CE – 26
 BIBILIOGRAPHY

• Plasser Mechanical Parts Catalogue

• CPOH Guidelines for Overhauling
• VICKERS Industrial Hydraulic Manual
• Basic Hydraulics – TPC Training Systems
• The Hydraulic Trainer - REXROTH