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9/10/2015

Amsted Rail: Griffin© wheels

Amsted Rail offers engineered system solutions that combine castings, bearings, wheels, axles, energy management devices and braking from all three of the company’s railroad product divisions.

For more than a century, the Griffin® wheel brand has been at the forefront in wheel design, manufacturing innovation and reliability, Amsted Rail officials say. The latest advance is Griffin’s patented Micro Alloy® wheel, which provides greater strength at higher temperatures, resulting in fewer wheelset removals and “dramatically longer wheel life,” the company says.

The Micro Alloy® wheel has demonstrated 72 percent longer wheel life when tested under real-world, heavy-haul conditions, according to the company. And the reduction in wheelset removals translates into lower freight-car operating expenses, less time for wheel maintenance and enhanced “fluidity of the service,” the company adds. The Micro Alloy wheel is produced from a patented material that provides increased resistance to thermal degradation, and it’s available in multiple wheel diameters, including locomotive.

Griffin uses a “unique pressure pouring process” to ensure steel cleanliness and consistent dimensions such as tape size and rim thickness, the company says, adding that every wheel is subject to a rigorous inspection process. All Griffin wheels from Amsted Rail meet or exceed AAR and international specifications.