European Year of Rail: Innovation. ArcelorMittal Leader in R&D

13.12.2021
2021 is the European Year of Rail, discover ArcelorMittal’s commitment to the rail sector.

 

Led by our global research and development (R&D) teams, and supported throughout all the business, we are the market leader in innovation. We are constantly looking for technological advances that allow us to make new steels while improving manufacturing processes. This commitment to innovation extends beyond new products and processes to encompass how we can, positively, impact the life of people all over the world.

ArcelorMittal employs around 1,500 full-time researchers at 12 sites throughout the world, with centers strategically placed in Europe, North and South America and close to key operations and customers. These centers are where new steel products, processes and solutions are envisioned, tested, improved and deployed.

ArcelorMittal’s investment in R&D activities, keeps us at the forefront of innovation and ahead of competition as steel manufacturer of choice for our customers.

ArcelorMittal Rails & Special Sections bringing innovation to the railway sector

The need for fast and reliable transport has stimulated R&D in this sector, making it possible to overcome challenges unimaginable a few years ago. ArcelorMittal, in its continuous development, has reinforced this permanent evolution in the rail sector with improvements in product range and bringing new rail products with tailored properties.

ArcelorMittal has its own dedicated R&D Rail Excellence Center, located in Northern Spain, to provide our customers with prompt, innovative and cost-effective solutions. The research lines are structured around three main axes: optimization of the manufacturing process, new product development and implementation of new rail-based track solutions.  Developments are strongly supported by unique ArcelorMittal facilities that reproduce, in its labs at industrial scale, the full development cycle from lab casting, hot rolling, head hardening, welding, in use rolling performance and corrosion.  Developments are further strengthened with an open innovation philosophy in collaboration with a network of universities, technology centers and companies from railway sector that are materialized in unique equipment built around the Steel Block facilities.

 

 

Some examples of ArcelorMittal’s current main trending topics for railway are the increase in rail length in order to provide further track safety, welding, track laying and maintenance cost savings, and the increase of rail service life with the most appropriate solutions related to different applications such as low carbon grades for tramway, new hardness grades for heavy haul and other uses such as cranes.

Other new products include the RailCor® product family, a completely new range of corrosion-resistant rails which offer protection in severe environments and enhanced functionalities like the mitigation of stray currents effects. Products are designed to be installed inside tunnels, city centers, or coastal areas. RailCor® offers increased rail service life and expense savings reducing Life Cycle Cost.