COMPOSITE RAILWAY SIEEPERS

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Composite Sleepers for Sale

The composite railway sleepers are also called synthetic sleepers. Its main material is continuous glass fiber reinforced polyurethane foam. It is made through a special extrusion or molding process. It combines the advantages of wooden railway sleepers and plastic railway sleepers. Composite railway sleepers are extremely durable and can resist environments such as moisture and corrosion. And it has good impact resistance and vibration resistance. Composite railway sleepers are widely used in heavy-haul railways, high-speed railways, and urban rail transit.
In addition to composite railway sleepers, AGICO also offers high-performance wooden railway sleepers and plastic railway sleepers. Railway sleepers made of different materials meet the different needs of customers.

Four Core Advantages of Composite Railway Sleepers

Long service life

Composite railway sleepers are not susceptible to damage from moisture, fungi, chemicals, or insects. It can resist UV aging outdoors and maintain structural stability. Their service life can typically reach 50 years or more.

High performance

Composite railway sleepers can offer good shock absorption and cushioning effect. It helps reduce the impact of wheels on rails. It also has a good fastener holding force and can effectively fix the rails.

Good economic efficiency

Because composite railway sleepers are extremely durable, they do not require the same anti-corrosion treatment as wooden railway sleepers. Therefore, the frequency of maintenance is reduced in the later stages, effectively saving operating costs.

Easy to install

Composite railway sleepers are lightweight and easy to transport. It can also perform on-site cutting, drilling, and grooving. It improves the efficiency of construction and replacement.

Material Strength of Composite Railway Sleepers

The material strength of composite railway sleepers is its key performance characteristic. This gives composite railway sleepers excellent bending strength and impact resistance. It can effectively withstand the dynamic loads and vibrations generated by passing trains. This helps extend the service life and reduce track maintenance.

Material Strength:

Item		JIS E1203:2007 Strength	(CJ/T399-2012) AGICO Sleeper Strength
Material Strength	Bending Strength	min. 70 N/mm2	min. 80 N/mm2
	Young ‘s modulus in flexure	min. 6000 N/mm2	min. 7000 N/mm2
	Withstand bending load	min. 170 kN	min. 170 kN
	Longitudinal compressive strength	min. 40 N/mm2	min. 50 N/mm2
	Shearing strength	min. 7 N/mm2	min. 7 N/mm2
	Adhesion shearing strength	min. 7 N/mm2 (base-material breakage)	min. 7 N/mm2 (base-material breakage)
Electrical Properties	Alternating-current breakdown voltage	min. 20 kV	min. 20 kV
Electrical Properties	Direct-current insulation resistance	min. 1 X 1010 Ω	min. 1 X 1010 Ω
Pulling Strength	Track spike pulling strength	min. 15 kN	min. 20 kN
Pulling Strength	Screw spike pulling strength	min. 30 kN	min. 40 kN
Unit volume mass		0.74土 0.1 g/cm3	0.74土 0.1 g/cm3
Amount of water absorption		max. 10 mg/cm2	max. 10 mg/cm2

Materials and Manufacturing Processes

Composite railway sleepers are mainly composed of continuous glass fiber, polyether polyol, isocyanate, and related components.

Production process flow: The production process of composite railway sleepers begins with two liquid polyurethane raw materials (material A and material B). They are drawn in proportion and mixed using a precision metering pump. Then, the mixture is poured evenly onto the fiberglass and kneaded until it is evenly distributed. Next, the mixture is fed into a molding die, where it undergoes foaming, curing, and molding. It is then automatically tracked and cut into the required length by the cutting system. Finally, these semi-finished products undergo further processing, including grinding, lamination, and spraying. They became the ultimate composite railway sleepers.

Main Equipment:

Yarn system: It includes a yarn frame, a yarn collecting plate, and a traction head. Its main function is to store, organize, and transport continuous glass fibers.
Polyurethane feeding and foaming system: It consists of a mixing tank, a high-pressure foaming machine, a cleaning frame, a swing frame, and a cooler. It is primarily responsible for the precise measurement, mixing, and controlled foaming of raw materials.
Unwinding system: It includes an unwinding rack and a heating platform. Its main responsibility is to ensure that raw materials enter the subsequent processing stages smoothly and accurately.
Roll forming system: This is the core equipment. It uses a specific mold to apply pressure to the foamed and cured material, shaping it into the form of a railway sleeper.
Post-conveying system: It includes a conveyor platform and an automatic tracking cutter. Its main function is to transport pre-formed long strips of material and cut them.
Surface coating equipment: The surface of semi-finished railway sleepers is coated or sprayed to enhance their weather resistance or fire resistance.
Testing equipment: To inspect the quality, dimensions, or performance of finished products.

Composite Railway Sleepers VS Plastic Railway Sleepers

1. Emphasis is placed on structural performance and strength. It exhibits small deformation and excellent dimensional stability under long-term load.
2. It is suitable for critical sections of railways with extremely high requirements for strength and durability, such as heavy-haul railways, high-speed railways, bridges, and level crossings.
3. The raw materials and production processes are more complex, and the initial investment is higher, but the life cycle cost may be lower.

1. It has good toughness but low stiffness, and is prone to large bending deformation under heavy loads.
2. It is suitable for applications where strength requirements are not high, such as bridges, Hong Kong MTR, main lines, slab tracks, and short-distance lines.
3. It mainly utilizes waste plastics, resulting in low production costs and high cost-effectiveness.

Application of Composite Railway Sleepers

1. Heavy-haul railway: Composite railway sleepers can withstand huge axle loads and repeated impact loads. Its fatigue and impact resistance are higher than those of concrete sleepers, effectively reducing the frequency of maintenance.
2. Switch area: In complex areas like turnouts, composite railway sleepers, like wooden railway sleepers, can be cut, drilled, and customized on-site.
3. Urban rail: Composite railway sleepers have vibration reduction and noise reduction properties that make them ideal for use in densely populated urban areas. Excellent electrical insulation properties can ensure the safety of signal systems.
4. Corrosive road sections: Composite railway sleepers exhibit strong resistance to corrosive environments such as coastal areas, wetlands, and industrial railway lines.

What Can AGICO Offer?

Experienced: AGICO has many years of experience in railway products. We not only possess mature and stable technology, but also have accumulated valuable experience in dealing with various complex working conditions. We can provide the most optimized solutions based on our clients’ needs.

Production Environment: AGICO has a modern production base and an automated production line. The advanced equipment and strict process management ensure that each composite railway sleeper is precisely sized and of superior quality.

Quality Inspection: AGICO conducts rigorous testing through precision testing equipment, which includes the product’s mechanical strength, durability, and fatigue resistance. Ensure the products meet national standards.

After-sales Service: We offer technical consultation, solution design, equipment manufacturing, installation and commissioning, and operation training etc. We have a rapid response after-sales service team. Become a reliable partner in your projects.