The Liberty Wheel

A new concept for tyred wheels is introduced in the paper, allowing cost reduction, mass reduction and shorter supply times. The project is based on a deep and critical review of the current practice in wheel maintenance and the current supply chain, finding and solving the criticalities that led to the current monopoly of monobloc wheels. It will be shown that the new tyred wheel, named Liberty Wheel, keeps its promises, allowing seamless rolling stock operation thanks to simple and inexpensive maintenance operations possible in nearly all current maintenance shops. It is a revolution for vehicles running up to at least 160 km/h without “strong” tread braking (trams, metros, light rail, commuter trains, regional trains, locos for freight trains, etc.)