What are types of clips?
Jan 28, 2026
A rail clip is an elastic restraint that applies sustained clamping force to hold the rail firmly in its designed position, controlling gauge and rail seat pressure while allowing small elastic deflections that protect track components from damage.
What are types of clips?
Tension rail clips (or elastic rail clips) are vital, high-strength forged steel fasteners that secure steel rails to sleepers, absorbing impact and preventing movement. Major types include E-type (E1609, E1809, E2009), SKL (SKL1, SKL3, SKL12, SKL75), Nabla, Deenik, KPO clamps, and specialized crane rail clips.
Key Types of Tension Rail Clips
- E-Type Rail Clip: Known for durability and high clamping force, these are commonly used with concrete sleepers (e.g., E1609, E1809, E2009, E2055).
- SKL Tension Clip: A prominent, robust tension clip (e.g., SKL1, SKL3, SKL12, SKL14, SKL75) used in various fastening systems.
- Nabla Rail Clip: Generally used in specialized rail fastening systems and made from 60Si2MnA steel.
- KPO Clamp: A heavy-duty, bolt-mounted clip used on concrete or steel sleepers, offering high adjustability.
- Crane Rail Clip: Specifically designed for crane tracks, often featuring a self-locking mechanism and high adaptability for varying rail heights.
- Rail Fastener Types by Region/Design: Includes Russian rail clips, Deenik clips, and specific elastic clips like the J-Clip.
GNEE RAIL supports this function by supplying E-Type rail clips, SKL tension clips, Nabla blade clips, Pandrol PR clips, KPO rail clamps, Deenik clips, Fast Clip units, crane rail clips, and Russian-type clips, matched with rail systems used in freight, metro, and port crane projects.
What is the material of ERC clip?
ERC clips (Elastic Rail Clips) are primarily manufactured from high-strength forged spring steel, specifically grades like 55Si7 (Silico Manganese spring steel) or EN-45, which are designed to provide high elasticity and durability. These clips are produced through hot forging and heat treatment processes to ensure they can withstand high, cyclic, and static loads in railway track systems.
Key Material and Manufacturing Details:
- Material Composition: Silico-manganese spring steel (Grade 55Si7, 60Si2Mn, etc.).
- Manufacturing Method: Hot forging and bending of round steel bars, followed by oil quenching and tempering to achieve necessary hardness and elasticity.
- Properties: High yield strength, excellent corrosion resistance (often enhanced with coatings), and designed to avoid permanent deformation under load.
- Standards: Manufactured to comply with specifications such as RDSO (Indian Railways), UIC, BS, and JIS standards.
| Element | 60Si2MnA (Spring Steel) | 60Si2CrA (Alloy Spring Steel) | 60CrMnA (Alloy Spring Steel) | SUP10 (JIS Spring Steel) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carbon (C) | 0.56–0.64 | 0.56–0.64 | 0.56–0.64 | 0.47–0.55 |
| Silicon (Si) | 1.60–2.00 | 1.40–1.80 | 0.17–0.37 | 1.50–2.00 |
| Manganese (Mn) | 0.60–0.90 | 0.40–0.70 | 0.70–1.00 | 0.70–1.00 |
| Chromium (Cr) | ≤ 0.30 | 0.70–1.00 | 0.70–1.00 | ≤ 0.30 |
| Nickel (Ni) | ≤ 0.35 | ≤ 0.35 | ≤ 0.35 | ≤ 0.30 |
| Phosphorus (P) | ≤ 0.025 | ≤ 0.025 | ≤ 0.025 | ≤ 0.025 |
| Sulfur (S) | ≤ 0.025 | ≤ 0.025 | ≤ 0.025 | ≤ 0.025 |
Why use spring steel to manufacture elastic rail clips?
Spring steel is used for manufacturing elastic rail clips because of its exceptional elasticity, high yield strength, and fatigue resistance, which allows the clips to withstand intense, repeated, and alternating loads from trains without permanent deformation. It acts as a reliable fastener that maintains gauge integrity and absorbs vibration.
Key Reasons for Using Spring Steel:
- High Elasticity and Yield Strength: Spring steel can withstand significant bending and torsion, returning to its original shape, which is crucial for maintaining constant clamping force (toe load) on the rail.
- Fatigue Resistance: Rail clips undergo constant stress from passing trains; spring steel is designed to resist fatigue failure under these severe conditions.
- Durability and Hardness: Grades like 60Si2MnA or 55SiCr7 are tempered to achieve a specific hardness (40–48 HRC), ensuring long service life.
- Vibration Absorption: The special steel composition (often Si-Mn alloyed) helps absorb impact energy, reducing structural damage to sleepers.
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.
