what size/steel grade rail for my inline measuring gauge?
what size/steel grade rail for my inline measuring gauge?
(OP)
I'm looking to order twin straight steel ground rails for a mobile gauge weighing around 10000 lbs that will be able to move in and out of our production line. The gauge is to be on 4 wheels and I was thinking of ordering 2" square rails around 20 feet long to place in or on our concrete base, but wasn't sure if I needed to worry about the material or get a larger size rail to support such high weight. Any structural or mechanical or materials engineers out there who can point me in the right direction? Thanks in advance.





RE: what size/steel grade rail for my inline measuring gauge?
See, e.g., birminghamrail.com , from whom I have bought a few miles of crane rail.
You may also need to use wheels larger than you have imagined, in order to limit the contact stresses for a reasonable life. Guys who sell crane wheels should be able to help you with that.
... unless you really need precision rails, to minimize trajectory errors.
For a while at least, a long time ago, GM had their machine tools built with ball bushings running on precision ground hardened rods about 100mm diameter. I have no idea what GM uses now, but that's another area to investigate.
Mike Halloran
Pembroke Pines, FL, USA