ARNO® Break R
Break rails efficiently instead of costly cutting.
Highlights
- Breaking instead of cutting – no cutting gas, no sparks, significantly less tool wear
- Single and multiple breaking: one to five rails at a time, even different profiles
- Stationary with magazine feed for rails up to 150 m, or mobile directly at the track
- Capacity up to 90,000 t/year in two-shift operation, multi-rail system approx. 60–80 t/h
- Adjustable breaking length – clean, charge-ready rail pieces for steel mills and foundries
- No thermal change to the microstructure and no material loss through burn-off
- Hardox® wear protection, SIMATIC HMI, remote diagnostics and predictive maintenance
- Accessories: remote control, air-conditioned cab, loading crane, rail magazine
The ARNO® Break R dismantles end-of-life railway and industrial rails by controlled breaking instead of cutting. A special notch geometry weakens the rail at a defined point, hydraulic cylinders clamp it securely on the support table, and the rail is then bent over the breaking edge and snaps cleanly at the notch. The result is clean, dimensionally accurate rail pieces – an ideal feedstock for electric steel mills (green steel) and foundries. Suitable are brittle, high-alloy railway rails; soft tram rails cannot be broken.
Decommissioned railway and industrial rails are long, hard and unwieldy — conventional cutting is slow and tool-intensive on this brittle material. Instead, the ARNO® Break R breaks the rails in a controlled manner into transport-ready pieces, significantly reducing processing time and tool wear.
- Railway rails
- Industrial rails
- Steel rails
- Switch parts
Advantages: ARNO® Break R Multiple 900
Up to 5 rails at once
Even different profiles are notched and broken in parallel.
60–80 t/h throughput
Maximum output per shift with a continuous material flow.
Hardox® armour
Housing and wear plates made of Hardox 450–600, notching and breaking blades made of hardened quality steel.
Splinter & noise protection
Integrated splinter protection at discharge, optional customised noise protection systems.
ARNO® Break R Multiple 900
The high-performance system for scrapyards and industrial recycling centers. Up to five suitable rails can be notched and broken in parallel – even with different profiles. With optimal material feed and appropriate plant configuration, throughput rates of approximately 60 to 80 t/h are achievable. This combines maximum area productivity with a continuous material flow.
AI generated Technical Data
| Parameter | ARNO® Break R Multiple 900 |
|---|---|
| Equivalent breaking force* | 4,000 kN |
| Breaking moment | 900 kNm |
| Hold-down force | 850 kN |
| Piece length | 1,000–1,600 mm |
| Capacity | approx. 60–80 t/h |
| Cycle time | > 15 s |
| Drive power | 3 × 55 kW |
| Footprint | 6.0 × 2.5 m |
| * Equivalent breaking force relative to a standard rail breaker. | |
Gallery — ARNO® Break R Multiple 900
Videos — ARNO® Break R Multiple 900
Advantages: ARNO® Break R 300
Stationary or mobile
Stationary with magazine feed or diesel-powered directly at the track – 24 m rails are reduced on site.
1–2 rails at once
Depending on version as standard, single or dual system.
Rails up to 150 m
Automatic magazine feed for very long rail strings – no transport of long rails.
Integrated fishplate removal
Combined solution of rail dismantling and breaking available.
ARNO® Break R 300
The flexible solution for different operating models. Depending on the configuration, one or up to two suitable rails are processed simultaneously. Stationary plants can be equipped with automated feed for very long rail sections; mobile concepts bring processing directly to the site of use and reduce costly long-rail transport. An integrated solution with combined rail dismantling – unclipping – is also available.
AI generated Technical Data
| Parameter | ARNO® Break R 300 |
|---|---|
| Breaking force | 1,250 kN |
| Breaking moment | 280 kNm |
| Hold-down force | 1,250 kN |
| Piece length | 300–1,200 mm |
| Capacity | < 10 t/h |
| Cycle time | > 9 s |
| Drive power | 22 kW |
| Footprint | 2.5 × 15 m |
Gallery — ARNO® Break R 300
AI generated
Videos — ARNO® Break R 300
Breaking instead of cutting – how it works
The ARNO® Break R dismantles rails by controlled breaking – more efficient, more economical and gentler on tools than thermal or mechanical cutting.
Notching
A special notch geometry weakens the rail at a defined point and significantly reduces tool wear.
Clamping
Hydraulic cylinders clamp the rail securely on the support table via swivelling arms.
Breaking
The rail is bent over the support table and snaps cleanly at the notch – without any cutting sparks.
Green steel & steel mills
Electric steel mills need high-quality scrap – broken rails are an ideal, single-grade feedstock.
Growing scrap demand
The switch to electric arc furnaces is sharply increasing demand for high-quality steel scrap.
Ideal feedstock
Broken rail pieces are single-grade, dense and charge-ready – for a high melting yield in the furnace.
Higher added value
Dimensionally accurate rail scrap achieves better prices than long or torch-cut rails – at lower process costs.
Rail saw, torch cutting and scrap shear compared
| Criterion | Rail saw | Torch cutting | Scrap shear | ATM ARNO® Break R |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tool and blade wear | high | medium | very high | very low |
| Material quality (microstructure) | preserved | impaired | preserved | fully preserved |
| Throughput | low | medium | medium | up to 80 t/h |
| Operating costs | medium | high (gas) | high | low |
| Emissions & safety | low | sparks and smoke | medium | spark-free |
| Suitability for large volumes | no | limited | limited | ideal |
advantageous limited disadvantageous
What a tonne really costs
Total costs of purchase, replacement/overhaul and operation over 8 years, divided by output – the same calculation for all systems.
ARNO® Break R 300
Single rail · 15,000 t/year · 8 years
ARNO® Break R Multiple
Multi-rail system · 90,000 t/year · 8 years
at 15,000 t/year and approx. €25 added value per tonne
at 90,000 t/year and approx. €25 added value per tonne
over 8 years compared to a low-cost system
over 8 years compared to a low-cost system
Example calculation – actual values depend on the project, material and market. Added value = price premium for clean, dense rail scrap plus saved cutting and shearing costs. We are happy to prepare your individual economic calculation.
In use worldwide
ARNO® Break R rail breakers at leading recycling and steel companies.
Request a quote
Interested in ARNO® Break R?
Tell us briefly about your project – whether it's a concrete purchase inquiry, a service call or a spare parts need. Our team will get back to you shortly with a suitable offer.
- No obligationNo costs or obligations from the inquiry itself.
- Personal contactAlfred Ortner, Hans-Jürgen Steinlechner and Sergei Shaveko are responsible for ARNO® Break R and will contact you directly.
