Maschinenfabrik Liezen und Gießerei (MFL), Austria, has been working with the rail milling technology for more than ten years. Special attention is drawn onto the repair of cross and longitudinal geometric faults and fatigue failures (head checks, squats, riffles, etc.) and also on the preventive maintenance of rail track by means of the mobile rail milling technology.

The RFP 1 is the most powerful rail milling train and the latest development in the rail milling technology. It was recently presented at the ‘Transportation, Infrastructure and Track Machinery 2010’ exhibition in Kaluga, Russia. National and international press as well as experts from all over the world were astonished by the performance of the machine.

The impressive appearance and the enormous performance data are speaking for themselves. A total length of 66.5m, 3m width, 4.6m height, 300t total weight, a chip container with 30m³ and more than 1,000kW driving power can only be topped by the performance data. The RFP 1 is equipped with 4 MFL rail milling aggregates, each with a diameter of 1,400mm. Therewith a milling performance of 3mm at the driving surface and 8mm at the driving edge per milling aggregate is possible. If using two milling aggregates per side the milling depth can be doubled.

The machine has been designed for a 24hr continuous operation in the vastness of the Russian Federation. Therefore one milling aggregate can always be recharged while the other one is working. To offer the crew of four a comfortable working environment the machine is equipped with sleeping places, habitable room, kitchen, bathroom and lavatory.

The milling train RFP 1 has been designed and manufactured in cooperation with OAO Kaluga Works of Remputmash. The in Europe well-established milling technology has been delivered and installed by MFL.

At the beginning of 2011 the milling train will be committed to its designation, the maintenance of the almost endless Russian railway network.

The environment and efficiency of the railway maintenance are a big concern of MFL. An effective and efficient maintenance of the rail, whether preventive or for repair reasons, prevents the environment by noise reduction and leaving no pollution. Due to the reduction of tool costs and auxiliary costs (purification of the track, tunnel) compared to for example the grinding process, the milling process contributes essentially to the economic success of an organisation.

Future advancements will be coming up soon. Waiting in the wings is the new finishing system of MFL, which creates unprecedented surface qualities.