WEGH Group designs and builds complete plants for the manufacture of all prefab elements that make up ballastless railway, tramway and underground superstructures such as, for instance, the prestressed reinforced concrete slab tracks used in the Arianna system. This allows for a remarkable reduction of maintenance costs, when compared to the traditional solution with ballast sleepers, as maintenance only consists in ordinary cleaning of the surfaces and the overhaul of the tracks and fastening elements, short and predefined installation and construction times, smaller overall dimensions and weight of the structure, which is a significant factor especially when building tunnels or viaducts, safe pedestrian traffic and transit of rubber-wheeled vehicles along the line for rescue purposes.
Long–Line plants for the manufacture of sleepers and switch bearers are one of WEGH Group historical products and they have been installed in each and every part of the world. These plants feature electromechanical control systems with standard and easy-to-find components, which is a crucial advantage when working in difficult areas and contexts.
WEGH Group Long-Line technology allows for the loosening and cutting of the pre-stressing wires as well as sleeper demoulding without any movement of the moulds.
The moulds designed and manufactured for the Long-Line system are available in solutions with interchangeable rail pads, thus allowing for the use of different types of fastening systems such as Pandrol e-clip, Fast clip, Vossloh, D.E. clip, Denik, Stedef, KB, ARS, etc. The manufacturing process is fully assisted by semi-automatic machinery. Railway sleepers are cast upside down and they are turned automatically during the demoulding stage. Long-Line plants are characterised by the use of the bonded tendon system, which is a remarkable saving in the production of concrete railway sleepers because with it products as they are on the market, i.e. without any further processing or special accessories, can be used.
Carousel plants are characterised by a high level of automation. Machinery used in the production cycle are PLC-controlled and they have high level technological features and performances. WEGH Group has been building plants for the manufacture of railway sleepers made of prestressed reinforced concrete – either post-tensioned or pre-tensioned – with the Carousel system since 1982. Such plants are organised as a closed loop where the moulds, each featuring 2 to 4 sleeper moulds, can support the pre-stressing force.
Moulds, as configured above, travel along the production line through the various processing stations where work processes are performed before they move on to the next step.
The moulds designed and manufactured for the Carousel system are available in solutions with interchangeable rail pads, which allows for the use of different types of fastening systems such as Pandrol e-clip, Fast clip, Vossloh, D.E. clip, Denik, Stedef, KB, ARS, etc. WEGH Group offers customised solutions for the design and construction of both the plants and the moulds.
Carousel plants offer the opportunity to chose among a range of various pre-stressing systems:
– pre-tensioned wire pre-stressing with smooth steel wires threaded to the steel head plates;
– pre-tensioned wire pre-stressing using bonded tendons;
– post-tensioned wire pre-stressing using sheathed steel wires bolted with steel plates to the ends of the sleeper.
Production capacity
24/48 slabs per shift
Pre-stressing method
Unbonded wires (post-tensioning)
Normal reinforcement
Casting machine concrete feeding
Upon request with automated systems
Concrete casting phase
Assisted by semi-automated machine
Concrete vibration phase
By means of pneumatic/electric systems
Production capacity
Standard production 24/96 units per day
Others production capacity upon request
Pre-stressing method
Longitudinal by means of fully bonded wires (indented wires/strands)
Transversal with unbonded wires (post-tensioning)
Casting machine concrete feeding
Upon request with automated systems
Concrete casting phase
Assisted by semi-automated machine
Concrete vibration phase
By means of high-frequency electric vibrators
Wires/strands cutting phase
Assisted by semi-automated machine
Moulds oiling – wires/strands laying phase
Assisted by semi-automated machine
Slabs de-moulding phase
Assisted by semi-automated machine by vacuum system
Production capacity
Upon request – indicated for low production capacity
Pre-stressing method
Bidirectional with unbonded wires (post-tensioning)
Casting machine concrete feeding
Upon request with automated systems
Concrete casting phase
By means of pneumatic/electric systems
Slabs de-moulding phase
By overhead cranes with controlled demoulding devices