Metal Locking Service - Cast Iron Repair And Machining For 16-Cylinder Cast Iron Locomotive Engine Frames

Metal Locking Service specializes in locomotive repair and in-situ machining. We are a worldwide service provider specializing in field repairs for Union Pacific, Norfolk Southern, Burlington Northern Sate Fe, Conrail, CSX, Kansas City Southern, Canadian National, Canadian Pacific and several other regional companies. Metal Locking Service is accepted as the only company qualified by General Electric for repairing their frames. Our GE-FDL qualified repairs include:

• Crosshead guides
• Cam bores
• Lube headers
• Pan rails
• Interior walls and ribs
• Mounting feet
• Crankcase windows

CAST IRON REPAIR PROCEDURE

The Metal Locking cast iron repair procedure was conceived as a solution for the problems involving welding or brazing of cast iron. The repair is entirely mechanical in nature and no heat is used, therefore no stresses are introduced into the material. A basic introduction and procedure is provided below:

1. A drilling fixture is attached at right angles to the crack - a hole pattern is drilled and repeated at intervals of ¾in to 1¼in apart
2. The metal between each drilled hole is removed by ripping it away with pneumatic tools to form a slot - the stock removed is narrower than the drilled hole, thus forming a serrated opening
3. Preformed locks of high-tensile alloy are inserted into the slot - these locks are peened into the slots, one on top of the other, to a depth limited by the casting thickness and determined by the strength required
4. After the locks are installed, holes are drilled, tapped and threaded fasteners are applied, these are spotted along the entire length of the crack, overlapping one another - their purpose, in part, is to fill the fracture with new metal and provide a pressure seal
5. The entire area is peened flush and finish ground, as you can see in the third picture on the right

IN-SITU MACHINING SERVICES

Metal Locking Service provides a full array of on-site and in-situ machining services. All of our equipment and drives are universal and powered by either portable hydraulics or pneumatics. The minimum customer utilities required are 480V three-phase electric and/or 90psi of air. Our customers enjoy the benefits of:

• Portable milling
• Portable line boring
• Portable journal turning
• Portable valve boring
• Portable cylinder honing
• Portable flange facing
• Portable beveling
• Portable parting
• Portable keyway cutting
• Portable stress relieving

We offer a worldwide service, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, with immediate response. Quotations are provided after customer correspondence and digital photos are supplied.