Andrew graduated from the University of Leicester in 2004 with a degree in Astrophysics before joining Corus in Scunthorpe as a Technologist in the plate business. He moved to the section business in 2004. Rail was previously rolled in Workington but in late 2006 the product was moved to the Medium Section Mill (which required £130M investment) and he became heavily involved with the commissioning process for rail pre-cambering. He is now the Area Technical Manager for Rail Finishing at the Medium Section Mill.

An Introduction to the Pre-cambering Process for Ultra Long Rail Manufacturing

Flat bottomed heavy train rails are manufactured by hot rolling. Due to the asymmetric nature of rail profiles, distortion of the rail occurs during cooling. Pre-cambering is the process by which rails are pre-bent to off-set this natural distortion on the cooling bank. Not all rail manufacturers pre-camber their rails, but the advantages that the process gives in terms of manufacturing and product quality will be outlined. The unique solution developed by the Medium Section Mill to the specific problems arising from ultra-long rail cambering will also be discussed.

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