AIR SPRINGS

USE IN RAILWAY COACHES

AIR SPRING
• First introduced in 1958 for railroad applications

• IR using for EMUs since 1998-99

• Helical springs deflect under load.

• Air springs can maintain height over a wider load

conditions due to variable stiffness
AIR SPRING v/s HELICAL SPRING

• Softer suspension to suit varying load is required with resilience

property in vertical and lateral direction for better vertical and lateral
ride. To cope up overloading additional stiffness is required. Air
springs provide stiffness to suit varying load with constant buffer
height.

• Lateral deflection along with vertical

• Resilience in vertical and lateral direction required against bounce and

lurch - rolling. With little deflection in lateral direction shear stress
increases exponentially in helical springs.

• Range very wide

• Due to different variants of coach with different tare and gross load
wide range of springs are required to suit optimum suspension
stiffness. Single air spring can cater the purpose for varying loads.
 INTRODUCTION

Air suspension, also called pneumatic suspension,

uses the properties of air for the cushioning effect
(springiness). It is a proven technology on Indian
Railways and is being used on EMUs for last many
years. Now these have been introduced in mainline
coaches with ICF bogies To start with, these springs
are being provided on hybrid coaches of Duronto
rakes which have stainless steel body and
conventional ICF bogies. Trials of air springs on high
speed FIAT bogies of stainless steel coaches have
also been completed with satisfactory results and in
due course, all coaches will be provided with air
springs
 ADVANTAGES
• Now these have been introduced in mainline
coaches with ICF bogies because it is technically
superior in many ways;
• Provide better ride quality for passengers Ride index
with air springs is 2.72 against 3.37 in steel coil
springs (lower the ride index better the ride quality)
• Maintain constant buffer height even with dense
crush load on the coaches
• Improved reliability and less maintenance
• Isolation of structure borne noises
• Maintain one natural frequency at all speeds which
reduces vibrations and in turn reduces passenger
fatigue
 Range Spectrum
• 120kn – LHB -- LHB shells are lighter in weight and softer
flexicoil spring are used in sec. suspension so 120 kn air springs are
used in all types of fiat bogie.

• 140 kn – ICF – As ICF shells are slightly heavier than LHB shell
but overloading is less than sub-urban trains so air spring with
medium capacity of 140 kn are used in all types of ICF type bogies.

• 180kn – EMU :- As over loading in sub –urban trains may be

upto 300 %, so high capacity air springs of 180 kn are used in EMU
coaches.
 Operating Conditions
⚫ Each coach is fitted with air spring assemblies would have a
feed pipe & one brake pipe. Normally up to 26 coaches from
a train. These coaches would have a maximum speed of 180
kmph & negitiative curve upto a minimum radius of 175
meter & carry pay load up to 30t.

⚫ Compressed air supply to the air spring assemblies shall be

maintained through a compressor provided in the locomotive.
The locomotive charges the feed pipe at 6Kg. Pneumatic
circuit of air spring assembly system is connected to the feed
pipe.
CONSTRUCTION OF AIR SPRING
 CONSTRUCTION DETAILS
The top plate of the air spring is connected with the car body and
the bottom of the air spring is connected with the bogie frame.
The top plate, the bellow and the bellow support form a closed
and sealed space. In normal service, the compressed air is
filled into the air spring to bear the vertical load of the car body.
The deflection of the bellow can satisfy the relative
displacement and the relative rotating angle between the bogie
and the car body. When the load of the car body changes, the
leveling valve of the air spring can adjust the inner pressure to
keep the air spring at the same height under different loads. At
deflated condition, the vertical load is transferred directly from
the top plate to the emergency spring and the lateral movement
is realized by the friction couple formed by the sliding plate and
the top plate
 Air Spring
⚫ Each coach shall be fitted with 4 air spring assmblies (2 per
bogie & each air spring assmblies shall be controlled by an
independent valve (4 point control system). Two air springs
of the same bogie shall be connected through duplex check
valve set to act at a pressure differential of 1.5+/- 0.12 Kg/cm.

⚫ To maintain continious supply of compressed air to the air

spring assmbly system, a 150 liter auxillary air reservior has
been provided.
LINE DIAGRAM
 Technical Requirements
Static load & pressure per air spring assembly:
1. The air spring assembly shall be capable of withstanding
following range of static vertical loads by using compressed air
with a limiting pressure of 6 Kg.
i) Minimum Tare load =60KN
ii) Max. Full Load =120KN
The air spring assembly should be capable of meeting the max.
Vertical loads at an air pressure of 5.5-5.8 Kg/cm to allow for
minor pressure drops along the train length during run.
 Deflection characteristics of Air spring
• During Dynamic condition of coaches , the air
spring shall be subjected to the deflection at freq.
Upto 3HZ.
• i) Max. Vert. Deflection of spring = +/- 30mm
• ii) Max. Lateral Deflection of spring = +/- 80mm
 Brusting strength of Air spring
• Air spring shall be capable of withstanding a
minimum bursting pressure of 30Kg/cm.
• This test shall be performed with water at an
ambient temp. Above or around 20 deg C.
• Install the air spring assembly that was subjected
one million cycles endurance test at design height.
• Inflate the air spring assembly with minimum
30Kg/cm internal pressure & hold the air spring
assembly at this pressure for 5 min.
• Observe if there any crack.
Emergency Spring

If air spring brust or deflates shell will be deflected by 30 mm only and

will rest on emergency rubber spring inbuilt in air spring.

Train can be run for 1000 KM with restricted speed of 60KMPH.

Duplex valve will deflate the other side air spring to balance differential
pressure and control tilting of coach. The coach is still safe for running,
only ride will slightly deteriorate.
 Space constraints
• i) Installed Height without spigot =294mm
• ii) Max. Permissible Dia of air spring =700mm
• iii) Max permissible Ex. Dia of top plate =700mm
• iv) Min. Height of air spring under full load with
no air & without spigot =240mm
 Pneumatic supply Connection
• Air inlet connection point to the air spring shall be
loacted at the center of top plate through a spigot
made air tight by using minimum two rubber O-
rings.
• i) Outer Dia = 85mm
• ii) Height = 35+/- 0.5 mm
• Iii) Dia of O ring = 5.7+/-0.1mm
 Material of components
• Base plate = stainless steel (Fe410 Cu WC)
• Counter sunk Bolt M22 = Height Tensile steel
(IS:2269) & shall be Zinc coated.
• All metal parts are stainless steel or corrosion
resistant steel grade E20 Cu Fe 410 to IS:2062.
• Rubber Bellow = Natural Rubber
 Cleaning
• Rubber products can be cleaned with soap & warm
water. The cleaned articles should be dried at room
temp. After a fairly long period of storage (6 to 8
months) the products can be cleaned with 1.5%
sodium bicarbonate solution. Remaining traces of
the cleaning fluid should be rinsed off with water.
• Rubber metal bonding is to be cleaned using a
glycerine-spirit mixture (1:10).
 Installation Lever
It has ball & socket joints at both ends. It shall position
locking system at both ends to avoid unnecessary
rotation lever.
 How AIR SPRING works
Air spring system works on 4 point control system with help of 04
leveling valves and 02 duplex valves.

Air spring are provided with compressed air from air brake system and
height is controlled through leveling valves.

Air spring through control mechanism, offer a load proportionate

stiffness, constant floor height and prospects of better ride behavior with
higher speed potential.
 DESIGNS AVAILABLE GLOBALLY
Air suspension design is globally accepted technology. Commonly used in
high speed trains, city buses of european countries.

Vehicles that use air suspension today include models from Maybach, Rolls-
Royce, Lexus, Mercedes-Benz, Land Rover/Range Rover, Audi, Volkswagen
and Ford among others

• The bellow design remains similar

• The variation is seen only in inner rubber springs which may be
– Conical type
– Hour-glass type
– V – shape
– To suit suspension design with varying stiffness in different directions.
 Air Springs - Advantages
 Maintain constant height at
varying load
 Fewer variants required to be
stocked for various coaches
 Buffer height adjustments
easy
 Helps in maintaining level of
coach under non-uniform
loading
 Less failures as compared to
helical springs
 What will happen if fails
• If air spring brust or deflates shell will be deflected
by 30 mm only and will rest on emergency rubber
spring inbuilt in air spring.

– Train can be run for 1000 KM with restricted

speed of 60KMPH.

• Duplex valve will deflate the other side air spring to

balance differential pressure and control tilting of
coach. The coach is still safe for running, only ride
will slightly deteriorate.
 Failure frequency
• As per feed back from RDSO till date failure of spring itself is
negligible. Failure mostly occurs due to breakage of installation lever or
leakage from joints.

• The failure frequency as observed in EMU coaches is minimal

– One lot of 20 springs of a particular vendor failed

– This vendor has since been de-listed by RDSO

• In mainline coaches, one spring failed due to external damage

 Replacement
• Replacement is very easy and can be quickly accomplished

• Springs can be changed by lifting the coach by about 50 mm

by applying jacks under the lifting pads
• It is a modular assembly of top plate, bottom plate rubber
bellow. The mounting arrangement is similar for all makes
approved by RDSO
– This ensures inter-changeability at assembly level
 SPARES REQUIRED BY RAILWAYS
• O ring

• Bellow

• Installation lever
• Duplex
• Leveling valve

• Hoses
 FIBA
(FAILURE INDICATION & BRAKE APPLICATION DEVICE)
• This device is designed to indicate spring failure
– Gives audio visual indication
– Initiates brake application

• The system works without any electrical power

FIBA

Visual alarm

Air Spring

FIBA

PRESENTATION BY : AJIT SINGH ,

3/30/13 DY.CME/DESIGN/RCF
RDSO APPROVED SUPPLIERS OF FIBA

M/S FAIVELY TRANSPORT INDIA LTD., TAMIL NADU

M/S STONE INDIA LTD., KOLKATA

M/S KNORR BREMSE INDIA (P) LTD., FARIDABAD

 RCF Recommendations
• There may be conditions of leakage when both air spring bellows
deflate simultaneously without reaching differential pressure of 1.5
kg.
– In such cases, system with differential pressure will not sense deflation, leakage
or bursting of both bellows.

• Fiba should work on absolute pressure drop also along with

differential pressure difference in air bellows.

• Resetting of FIBA and indicators should be manual without

exhausting full air from bellows.
 FIBA Variants
• RDSO have approved three types of FIBA devices
which can sense:
• Differential Pressure between two springs
• Absolute Pressure level in two springs
• Both differential as well as absolute pressure levels
 Status with RDSO
• RDSO are yet to approve working drawings of the
three vendors approved by them
• Specifications have not yet been released by RDSO
– RCF have procured on the basis of functional requirements
as per RCF MDTS 195

• Schematic diagram for ICF type coaches has been

received.
– For LHB/FIAT design, RDSO are yet to issue a Schematic
diagram
 STATUS AT RCF
• POs placed on M/s Faively, M/s Knorr and M/s
Stone India for 20 c/sets each as per RCF MDTS 195.
• Pilot samples of all three firms tested. Report sent
to RDSO.
• Design for fitment developed
• CAI prepared for retro-fitment on zonal railways
 STATUS OF VENDORS
• The earliest supplies are expected from M/s Stone
India who may supply by mid –February
• Supplies from other vendors are expected by mid-
March
 FITMENT of FIBA
• Fitment will be done at RCF for DD coaches and
any other coach type approved by RDSO
• Retro-fitment has to be done by zonal railways for
all Hybrid and DD and LHB/FIAT coaches fitted
with air suspension.
– RCF will associate during trial fitment
 FUTURE SCOPE
Air springs are essentially required to be used for
Double Decker coaches
ICF
Only those coaches where tare to gross is very high such as
VP, GS & SLR
 LEAK TEST OF AIR SPRING
BELLOW
• Leak test of air spring assembly shall be carried out as follows-
• Install the air spring assembly at design height.
• Gradually raise the air pressure to 9 kg/cm2 and disconnect the air
supply.
• Air spring assembly shall be checked for pressure drop at the
following pressure and time intervals.
• a) After one hour at internal pressure 9.0 kg/cm2.
• b) After 15 minutes at internal pressure 6.0 kg/cm2.
• The above tests shall be conducted with the air supply and drain
system of test device turned off.
• Drop of pressure at the completion of test shall be measured. The
pressure drop is required to be within 1% of the test pressure i.e. 9.0
kg/cm2 or 6.0 kg/cm2 as applicable
 Maintenance instructions
– Air spring height/coach clearances to be maintained as per
Drg no. CA90001. Tightened the lock nut of installation
lever after adjustment spring height/clearances.
– Provide a safety plate for leveling valve to avoid stone
hitting etc.
– Ensure that all the fasteners are properly tightened.
– Check the leakage of all air joints and rectify if required.
– Ensure that installation lever is in position and tightened
properly.
– Please ensure that Air spring height after inflating is
255+0/-5mm.
– Do not hinder with leveling valve and installation lever.
– Check visually the crack, deformation, aging of rubber
parts.
– Check the leakage of joint between spring spigot and
bolster. Change the o-rings on spigot if leakage is
observed.
THANKS