What are e-clips made of?
Jan 28, 2026
A rail clip is an elastic connector designed to maintain stable rail-seat pressure so that rails remain properly seated even under high axle loads, braking forces, and temperature fluctuations. Its resilience prevents loosening that occurs with rigid fasteners. GNEE RAIL supports this function by offering E-Type clips, SKL clips, Nabla clips, Pandrol PR clips, KPO clamps, Deenik clips, Fast Clip assemblies, crane rail clips, and Russian-standard clips for freight, metro, and industrial tracks.
What is an e type elastic rail clip?
An E-type elastic rail clip is a high-strength, hot-forged spring steel fastener used to secure railway rails to sleepers, providing permanent elastic clamping to maintain track geometry. Common in, but not limited to, heavy-haul lines, they offer superior vibration resistance, durability, and low maintenance. Synonyms include Pandrol E-clip, E-rail clip, or elastic rail fastening.
Usage Examples and Applications
- Concrete Sleepers: Used with shoulders embedded in concrete for fastening.
- Heavy-Haul & High-Speed Tracks: Designed to handle intense, dynamic loads and maintain tight alignment.
- Types of E-clips: Specific versions include the E2055, E2003,etc.
| Model | Diameter | Material | Under Pressure | HRC |
| E1609 | Ø 16mm | 60Si2MnA | ≥950kg | 44-48 |
| E1809 | Ø 20mm | 60Si2MnA | ≥950kg | 44-48 |
| E1813 | Ø 18mm | 60Si2MnA | ≥950kg | 44-48 |
| E2001 | Ø 20mm | 60Si2MnA | ≥950kg | 44-48 |
| E2009 | Ø 20mm | 60Si2MnA | ≥950kg | 44-48 |
| E2039 | Ø 20mm | 60Si2MnA | ≥950kg | 44-48 |
| E2007 | Ø 20mm | 60Si2MnA | ≥950kg | 44-48 |
| E2055 | Ø 20mm | 60Si2MnA | ≥950kg | 44-48 |
| E2056 | Ø 20mm | 60Si2MnA | ≥950kg | 44-48 |
| E2063 | Ø 20mm | 60Si2MnA | ≥950kg | 44-48 |
- Key Components: Often used in systems with rail shoulders, rail pads, and insulators.
What are e-clips made of?
E-rail clips (or elastic rail clips) are primarily made from high-grade, hot-forged spring steel (such as grades 60Si2MnA, 55Si2Mn, 60Si2CrA, or 38Si7). These materials are chosen for their excellent elasticity, high strength, and fatigue resistance. They are typically manufactured through a hot-forging process and quenched to a hardness of 44-48 HRC.
Key Characteristics and Materials
Material Composition: The, most common, spring steel, alloys used include:
- 60Si2MnA: Used for its high elasticity and strength.
- 55Si2Mn: Provides, excellent, fatigue, resistance.
- 60Si2CrA: Used for, high-performance, applications.
- 38Si7: Known for, superior, toughness.
| Element / Grade | 60Si2Mn | 60Si2CrA | 55Si2Mn | 38Si7 (≈1.5023) | 55Si7 (≈1.0904) | 65Si7 (≈1.0906) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carbon (C) | 0.56–0.64 | 0.56–0.64 | 0.52–0.60 | 0.35–0.42 | 0.52–0.60 | 0.62–0.70 |
| Silicon (Si) | 1.50–2.00 | 1.40–1.80 | 1.50–2.00 | 1.60–2.00 | 1.60–2.00 | 1.60–2.00 |
| Manganese (Mn) | 0.60–0.90 | 0.40–0.70 | 0.60–0.90 | 0.50–0.80 | 0.70–1.00 | 0.70–1.00 |
| Chromium (Cr) | ≤0.30 | 0.70–1.00 | ≤0.30 | ≤0.30 | ≤0.30 | ≤0.30 |
| Nickel (Ni) | ≤0.35 | ≤0.35 | ≤0.35 | – | – | – |
| Phosphorus (P) | ≤0.025 | ≤0.025 | ≤0.025 | ≤0.025 | ≤0.025 | ≤0.025 |
| Sulfur (S) | ≤0.025 | ≤0.025 | ≤0.025 | ≤0.025 | ≤0.025 | ≤0.025 |
| Key Standard | GB/T 1222 | GB/T 1222 | GB/T 1222 | EN 10089 | EN 10089 | EN 10089 |
What are the advantages of using e-type rail spring clip?
E-type rail spring clips are critical, high-strength fastening components that enhance railway stability, safety, and longevity through superior elastic clamping. They improve performance by reducing vibration, preventing track movement, and reducing maintenance needs due to their self-tensioning, "fit-and-forget" design.
Advantages of Using E-Type Rail Spring Clips:
- Enhanced Stability & Safety: They provide high-strength clamping force to prevent rail longitudinal/lateral displacement and maintain accurate track gauge.
- Vibration Reduction & Noise Reduction: The elastic design acts as a buffer against shock forces, reducing noise and damage to sleepers, particularly when used with insulated rail pads.
- "Fit-and-Forget" Low Maintenance: E-clips are self-tensioning, which eliminates the need for regular, frequent manual torque checks or bolt tightening.
- Easy Installation & Replacement: Their design allows for rapid manual or mechanized installation, reducing labor costs and track downtime.
- Durability: Made from high-quality spring steel (such as 60Si2MnA), these clips offer high tensile strength and a long fatigue life (e.g., 3-5 million cycles without breaking).
- Versatility: They are suitable for various rail types (UIC54, UIC60, BS100lbs, etc.) and applications, including heavy-haul, high-speed, and metro systems.
GNEE RAIL supplies E rail clips, SKL rail clips, Nabla types rail clips, KPO rail clips, and other customized types of rail clips,these rail clips are designed with high precision and made up of premium grade spring steel. GNEE has been the largest and most competitive production base of rail clip in China after more than 18 years' rail clip producing experience, and have qualification to tender nationally large and medium scaled rail projects. What's more, our rail clip can be customized according to clients' requirements.
