10.26180/5c084b96f37d6 QUAN HOANG LAI QUAN HOANG LAI Development of a novel wheel-rail maintenance strategy utilizing laser cladding technology Monash University 2018 Laser cladding Hypereutectoid rail steels Mechanical Engineering Manufacturing Processes and Technologies (excl. Textiles) 2018-12-05 22:05:09 Thesis https://bridges.monash.edu/articles/thesis/Development_of_a_novel_wheel-rail_maintenance_strategy_utilizing_laser_cladding_technology/7390586 The wheel-rail contact is known to cause material degradation in the forms of wear and rolling contact fatigue. Current maintenance techniques such as arc welding, rail grinding, and rail replacement contribute a significant portion of the operational cost. The large demand for a greater load-carrying capacity, particularly in Australia; a major producer of iron ore and coal, also necessitates an improvement in maintenance strategies. This research provides a systematic study towards developing a commercially viable railway maintenance technique using laser-cladding. This study has demonstrated that this technique is more cost-effective and prolongs the lives of rails and wheels.