Dynamic squeezing behavior of tamping machine in railway maintenance

Tamping squeeze is essential for maintaining ballasted tracks. Previous studies have simulated squeezing behavior as a linear motion with a constant squeezing distance, which is unsuitable for various ballast beds in the field. This study aims to develop realistic formulas for squeezing behavior in tamping maintenance. First, a universal expression for the squeezing behavior of tamping operation was proposed through theoretical derivation. Subsequently, a custom testing method for squeezing distance with high accuracy was designed. Finally, the parameters of the universal expression were obtained from testing results using the response surface method and novel formulas for squeezing behavior were innovatively developed. This study can lead to greatly improved simulation accuracy and effective maintenance of tamping squeeze.