High-Performance Turning Lathes
for Rail Manufacturing

Quality as a Decisive Competitive Factor

voestalpine Rail Technology GmbH is a well-known manufacturer of railroad tracks worldwide. To ensure an optimum end result, our customer decided to purchase a Herkules P 800 Power x 7000 CNC heavy-duty lathe for highly demanding turning operations, which has been specially developed for heavy-duty rough machining with extremely high cutting forces.

With this key machine, rolls with lengths of 7,000 mm in centers, diameters of 1,600 mm and a total weight of 40 t can be machined. Accuracies of 6 μm concentricity are maintained at the faceplate. “Consistently high precision combined with high cutting forces are the main requirements of the machine,” explains Andreas Bongardt, Sales Director for Eastern Europe and the CIS. “Turning the rail profile is a geometrically complex challenge due to the depth of the caliber and the steep side walls – no problem for us, of course.“ Another advantage of the Power-series is that it is wear-free. “The customer has been working with our heavy-duty lathes for many years. The high-quality design of all parts and the outstanding technical features of the machine have ensured that our customer has been using our machines in multi-shift operation for 60 years.

One-piece cast models for headstock, support rest, tailstock, and table as well as a wide bed with four inductively hardened guideways are the prerequisites for meeting these requirements.“ The machine also scores points for its high process and operational reliability. “It impresses with its high functional reliability and error-free service, ensuring smooth operation at all times while always achieving the required high-precision results and requirements,” explains Andreas Bongardt. “The Power-series is therefore the ideal choice for profile rolling mills and manufacturers who have to meet high demands efficiently, productively and wearfree, whether they are producing rolls or re-profiling large rolls.“

Two High-Performance Power Lathes for Suez Steel

It is therefore no wonder that the heavy-duty Power-series has brought in two more orders for Suez Steel in Egypt this year. “Thanks to Herkules‘ regular and trustful contact with the customer and the excellent experience that Suez Steel has already had with our newly installed notch milling machine, the customer remains loyal to our quality and has opted once more for two Herkules P 800 Power x 7000 CNC lathes,” explains Tobias Wurm, Sales and Project Manager responsible for our customer in Egypt.

At both Suez Steel and voestalpine, Maschinen-fabrik Herkules came out on top in a direct comparison with other manufacturers. “The machines from other suppliers were unable to meet the customer‘s technical requirements and expectations and were therefore replaced by our machines,” says Tobias Wurm. “Thanks to our technological lead in the field of roll turning and the continuous further development of our machines in this heavy-duty segment of roll machining, we guarantee the market leadership with our machines in terms of overall performance, economy, efficiency, and service life.“