OREANDA-NEWS. September 25, 2014. EVRAZ NTMK has completed TSI certification of its BA-004 solid-rolled railway wheels for freight cars.

The Compliance Certificate was awarded by VUZ, the European certificating authority for rail transport. Earlier two other wheel types, BA-318 and BA-319, had received TSI certificates. The tests showed that the wheels produced at EVRAZ NTMK are fully compliant with the EU requirements to freight car wheels.

Solid-rolled ВА-004 railway wheels with a diameter of 920 mm are produced of ЕR7 steel improved by a number of alloys. This steel type boasts high wear resistance all through the depth of the wheel tread’s working surface. Using the upgraded equipment, EVRAZ NTMK process engineers managed to attain a Brinnel hardness number of 235 and higher as deep as 35 mm into the wheel tread.

ВА-004 wheels have remarkably high performance characteristics and quality surface finish that enable higher train speeds in medium- and large-radius railway curves.

“The wheel type ВА-004 is the most wide-spread one in Europe. Launching it into production and having it certified in today’s complicated market environment in Russia is another step EVRAZ makes to enter a new high-potential market, says Ilya Shirokobrod, EVRAZ Vice-president, Head of the Railway Products Division. “EVRAZ NTMK is now well-prepared to mass production of ВА-004 wheels for European customers and we have actually started processing first orders”.