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Pasqualetti & Masi is located in the territory of the Municipality of Gambassi Terme, at Badia a Cerreto, approximately 1 km. from the Certaldo railway station. It is equipped with modern, numerically controlled machine tools for precision machining processes and is Quality System ISO 9001:2008 certified.
OUR MAIN CUSTOMERS
- Trenitalia s.p.a.
- Nuovo Pignone - Florence
- Wärtsila Italia s.p.a. -Trieste
- Diesel Ricerche G.M.-Trieste
- Ferrovie Nord - Milan
- Matec s.p.a. – Florence and others.
TRENITALIA S.p.A.
The company is mostly occupied in supplying mechanical parts for railway rolling stock spare parts: electric and diesel locomotives and vehicles. We acquire our job orders by submitting tenders nationally and within Europe. The company has signed biennial contracts for repairing mechanical parts such as: tensioners for vehicle couplers, anti-turning hydraulic shock absorbers, communicating doors for carriages and brake cylinders for locomotives. It also carries out: machining processes on design, compensator kits for marine diesel motors, driving shafts for armatures of the FS traction motors as well as other various job orders. The company owns a patented technique for jacketing, with a hard-chrome coating to the necessary thickness, brake cylinders of railway rolling stock: electric locomotives, electric railcars, diesel railcars, vehicles, cylinders for lifting the electric locomotive’s pantographs, electropneumatic contactors such as GL/GR 800 – CU 600/800 – REC 350 – 420/600.
JACKETING BRAKE CYLINDERS FOR TRENITALIA S.p.A.
Foreword:
Different types of brake cylinders are applied, on electric locomotives, electric diesels, electric railcars, diesel manoeuvring locomotives and vehicles, for activating mechanical braking with compressed air..
A) Cylinder type
There are two types of brake cylinders:
1. cast iron to activate the brake block on the treads of the axle-tree;
2. steel to activate the gaskets of the disc brakes.
B) Operating problems
During operating, the cylinders undergo mechanical wear, ovalization and ridging due to the combined action of the gaskets and the metallic dust that gets caught in the cylinder. In addition, due to water condensation present in the compressed air, the internal surface of the cylinders often presents heavy pitting caused by oxidation. For these reasons the cylinders lose air and therefore must be removed and rectified by substituting the gaskets.
C) Intervention during Cyclical Repairs
During cyclical repairs on the rolling stock, the brake cylinders must be systematically disassembled, individually checked and those that present wear beyond the tolerance levels (+ 0.25 mm.) on the nominal dimension or abnormal wear (pitting and ridging), must be rectified.
D) Maintenance costs
The FS plans foresaw the possibility of executing up to three subsequent rectifications of the cylinders after which, they were to be discarded. For each intervention, it was necessary to: remove the cylinder from the rolling stock, disassemble and clean it, carry out a visual and dimensional control of it and if outside of tolerance levels, carry out the rectification, substitute the gaskets and the guide rings, reassemble it, carry out the holding and testing trials and replace. All of this caused maintenance costs.
E) Solutions adopted
It was necessary to find a solution for the above-mentioned problem that allowed to: improve the cylinder’s reliability during operating, increase its average service life and reduce maintenance costs. The first experimental solution adopted by the FS included equipping the cylinders with a 1 mm. thick stainless-steel jacket. This solution, after adequate experimentation during operating, did not provide the results hoped for with regards to wear-resistance and duration and therefore was abandoned. Pasqualetti & Masi, consulted on this matter by the FS, offered its own solution that was accepted and put into experimentation (during operating) on a significant number of cylinders. This solution foresees:
a) for the cast iron cylinders: rectifying the cylinder’s internal surface, making a 2.5 mm. thick (approximately) steel jacket, applying a hard-chrome coating to the internal surface, lapping the chromed surface.
b) for the steel cylinders: rectifying the cylinder’s internal surface, applying a hard-chrome coating, lapping the chromed surface.
F) Bench tests
Sample cylinders were assembled and bench tested using cyclical operating and fatigue testing. After one million cycles, the jackets didn’t present any sign of wear on the chromed surface and the gaskets were in excellent condition.
G) Operating tests
After the bench tests, these cylinders were mounted on an electric locomotive for the subsequent operating tests. After 1,000,000 km. covered, the cylinders were removed and controlled. The results were the same as those obtained during the bench tests. The surfaces didn’t present any sign of wear and the gaskets were in excellent condition.
H) Benefits achieved
The benefits achieved can be summarised as follows: complete reliability while operating as no more cases of air-loss occurred; improved working conditions between the jacket and rubber gasket with subsequent savings on gaskets; during cyclical repairs on the rolling stock, it is no longer necessary to remove the cylinders for the repair cycle. It is sufficient to remove the cover, extract the piston, clean the jacket and gasket, lubricate and replace the cover; zeroing the maintenance costs of the cylinders both during operating and during cyclical repairs; the average service life of a chrome-coated jacket is estimated to be approximately 12 years.
I) Provisions adopted by the FS
Considering the positive results obtained, the FS has entered into an open contract with Pasqualetti & Masi relative to repairing brake cylinders for various types of rolling stock and electropneumatic equipment.
TYPE OF PRODUCTION AND CONTROLS
The company has a diversified production of mechanical parts, both in sizes and shapes as well as their processing.
It makes use of specialised companies that carry out the thermal treatment of the surfaces: tempering, cementation etc.
In addition, it has a laboratory where it carries out the mechanical strength tests, dimensional testing, material control by using penetrating liquids and the use of a magnifying glass
The photo shows some of the more important parts produced by this company.
The company is mostly occupied in supplying mechanical parts for railway rolling stock spare parts: electric and diesel locomotives and vehicles. We acquire our job orders by submitting tenders nationally and within Europe. The company has signed biennial contracts for repairing mechanical parts such as: tensioners for vehicle couplers, anti-turning hydraulic shock absorbers, communicating doors for carriages and brake cylinders for locomotives. It also carries out: machining processes on design, compensator kits for marine diesel motors, driving shafts for armatures of the FS traction motors as well as other various job orders. The company owns a patented technique for jacketing, with a hard-chrome coating to the necessary thickness, brake cylinders of railway rolling stock: electric locomotives, electric railcars, diesel railcars, vehicles, cylinders for lifting the electric locomotive’s pantographs, electropneumatic contactors such as GL/GR 800 – CU 600/800 – REC 350 – 420/600.
JACKETING BRAKE CYLINDERS FOR TRENITALIA S.p.A.
Foreword:
Different types of brake cylinders are applied, on electric locomotives, electric diesels, electric railcars, diesel manoeuvring locomotives and vehicles, for activating mechanical braking with compressed air..
A) Cylinder type
There are two types of brake cylinders:
1. cast iron to activate the brake block on the treads of the axle-tree;
2. steel to activate the gaskets of the disc brakes.
B) Operating problems
During operating, the cylinders undergo mechanical wear, ovalization and ridging due to the combined action of the gaskets and the metallic dust that gets caught in the cylinder. In addition, due to water condensation present in the compressed air, the internal surface of the cylinders often presents heavy pitting caused by oxidation. For these reasons the cylinders lose air and therefore must be removed and rectified by substituting the gaskets.
C) Intervention during Cyclical Repairs
During cyclical repairs on the rolling stock, the brake cylinders must be systematically disassembled, individually checked and those that present wear beyond the tolerance levels (+ 0.25 mm.) on the nominal dimension or abnormal wear (pitting and ridging), must be rectified.
D) Maintenance costs
The FS plans foresaw the possibility of executing up to three subsequent rectifications of the cylinders after which, they were to be discarded. For each intervention, it was necessary to: remove the cylinder from the rolling stock, disassemble and clean it, carry out a visual and dimensional control of it and if outside of tolerance levels, carry out the rectification, substitute the gaskets and the guide rings, reassemble it, carry out the holding and testing trials and replace. All of this caused maintenance costs.
E) Solutions adopted
It was necessary to find a solution for the above-mentioned problem that allowed to: improve the cylinder’s reliability during operating, increase its average service life and reduce maintenance costs. The first experimental solution adopted by the FS included equipping the cylinders with a 1 mm. thick stainless-steel jacket. This solution, after adequate experimentation during operating, did not provide the results hoped for with regards to wear-resistance and duration and therefore was abandoned. Pasqualetti & Masi, consulted on this matter by the FS, offered its own solution that was accepted and put into experimentation (during operating) on a significant number of cylinders. This solution foresees:
a) for the cast iron cylinders: rectifying the cylinder’s internal surface, making a 2.5 mm. thick (approximately) steel jacket, applying a hard-chrome coating to the internal surface, lapping the chromed surface.
b) for the steel cylinders: rectifying the cylinder’s internal surface, applying a hard-chrome coating, lapping the chromed surface.
F) Bench tests
Sample cylinders were assembled and bench tested using cyclical operating and fatigue testing. After one million cycles, the jackets didn’t present any sign of wear on the chromed surface and the gaskets were in excellent condition.
G) Operating tests
After the bench tests, these cylinders were mounted on an electric locomotive for the subsequent operating tests. After 1,000,000 km. covered, the cylinders were removed and controlled. The results were the same as those obtained during the bench tests. The surfaces didn’t present any sign of wear and the gaskets were in excellent condition.
H) Benefits achieved
The benefits achieved can be summarised as follows: complete reliability while operating as no more cases of air-loss occurred; improved working conditions between the jacket and rubber gasket with subsequent savings on gaskets; during cyclical repairs on the rolling stock, it is no longer necessary to remove the cylinders for the repair cycle. It is sufficient to remove the cover, extract the piston, clean the jacket and gasket, lubricate and replace the cover; zeroing the maintenance costs of the cylinders both during operating and during cyclical repairs; the average service life of a chrome-coated jacket is estimated to be approximately 12 years.
I) Provisions adopted by the FS
Considering the positive results obtained, the FS has entered into an open contract with Pasqualetti & Masi relative to repairing brake cylinders for various types of rolling stock and electropneumatic equipment.
TYPE OF PRODUCTION AND CONTROLS
The company has a diversified production of mechanical parts, both in sizes and shapes as well as their processing.
It makes use of specialised companies that carry out the thermal treatment of the surfaces: tempering, cementation etc.
In addition, it has a laboratory where it carries out the mechanical strength tests, dimensional testing, material control by using penetrating liquids and the use of a magnifying glass
The photo shows some of the more important parts produced by this company.