ISSUE FIVE 2016 - THE INNOTRANS REVIEW - Railway-News
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ISSUE FIVE 2016 - THE INNOTRANS REVIEW The latest news & reviews from the industry M A G A Z I N E *
Transcript of ISSUE FIVE 2016 - THE INNOTRANS REVIEW - Railway-News
ISSUE FIVE 2016 - THE INNOTRANS REVIEW
The latest news & reviews from the industry M A G A Z I N E
*
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First of all, I want to congratulate all ofyou who went on a really great showand I hope you managed to networkand engage with colleagues andclients in a fruitful and enjoyablemanner.
For me personally it was my firstInnoTrans and I was very excited toattend, not least because Germany isthe country of my birth. I was warnedthat it was absolutely massive – ‘noreally, you don’t understand, it’s huge!’– and also thankfully heeded theadvice for sensible footwear. On theMonday before the official opening ofthe show I participated in the pressevents, a whistle-stop tour to give usall an overview, if such a thing was at all possible.
Over the following days then I had thepleasure of meeting people whopreviously had only been contacts inmy inbox, of hearing inspiring peopletalk – my personal highlight here wasthe speech given by EUCommissioner for Transport VioletaBulc at the Opening Ceremony – andof meeting and interviewingprofessionals from all areas of the railindustry, which meant that I got tolearn about a whole host of inspiringinnovations and successful solutions.
In this issue we have a number ofgreat interviews for you to enjoy, froma wide variety of rail industry expertsand innovative start-ups. We also havea feature about the Inspiro metrovehicles Siemens is delivering for theRiyadh metro to accompany ourinterview with Jaime Freyre, CEO of
Welcome to the fifth Railway-News magazine issue of2016, our InnoTrans Review.
Letter from the Editor
Josephine Cordero Sapién, editor-in-chief
FCC in Saudi Arabia and ProjectDirector for the FAST Consortium onthe Riyadh metro.
All of us here at Railway-News hopeyou enjoy this InnoTrans Review. Wewill be back with our next magazine inthe new year. As such, it might be alittle too soon to wish you happyholidays. However, since it’s afterHalloween and the shops are alreadystocking up for the festive season, it isnot too untimely. I at least hope thetrains will be filled with travellerslooking forward to visiting loved oneswith many a joyous embrace at theworld’s stations.
I now have my first full year as editor-in-chief of the Railway-Newsmagazine under my belt. It’s been amassive privilege and also a huge, butenjoyable challenge. I look forward towhat 2017 will hold. In the meantime,please follow us on Twitter(@Railway_News) and subscribe toour newsletter on our website:www.railway-news.com. Enjoy the read!
ANDREW LUSHDirector
JOSEPHINE CORDERO SAPIÉNEditor-in-chief
NICOLA BROWNHead of Sales
AMBER GUY-KEMPHead of Client [email protected]
NAOMI THOMPSONContributing Editor
A2B Global Media LtdThird Floor
11–15 Dix’s FieldExeter EX1 1QAUnited Kingdom
Office: +44 (0)1392 580002Mobile: +44 (0)7432 725001
Email: [email protected]: www.railway-news.com
If you would like to submit editorialcontent, or you are interested in giving an interview for the magazine, pleasecontact Josephine Cordero Sapién.
If you would like your company to join Railway-News’s online platform,
please contact Andrew Lush.
To subscribe to our newsletter, visitwww.railway-news.com.
COVER: Berlin Messe
*Railway-News is not officially affiliated with InnoTrans.
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Contents
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INTERVIEWS
p.6 KehraTecWe speak with KehraTec’s Managing Director Carsten Kehr.
p.16 PowernetVice President Harry Lilja talks to us about power supply systems and converters.
p.25 BaultarBaultar make flooring and seating solutions for the rail industry. CEO Simon Archambault reveals more.
p.40 The Riyadh Metro: Getting the People of Riyadh MovingTo find out more about this exciting project, Railway-News spoke to one of the project’s leading figures, Jaime Freyre, CEO of FCC in Saudi Arabia and Project Director for the FAST Consortium on the Riyadh Metro.
p.48 BestMileBestMile’s Executive Assistant Maud Simon explains the BestMile platform and talks autonomous mobility and integrated transport.
FEATURES
p. 39 The Inspiro Metro Train by Siemens: Ready for RiyadhAt InnoTrans 2016, Siemens displayed its Riyadh metro. It will deliver 74 of these metro vehicles that have been specifically designed to cope with the region’s climatic conditions.
SUPPLIER NEWS
p.10 AmestAutomatic Measuring Station KS-619 for Wheelset Dimensions Checking
p.20 Goldschmidt ThermitThe Digital Worksite: Modern, Intelligent, Connected
p.28 MechanSheffield-based Mechan Enjoys Busiest InnoTrans Ever
p.33 Parker HannifinParker Hannifin Demonstrate Total Solutions Approach at InnoTrans 2016
p.36 ProseIndependent Engineering Services from A to Z
p.44 SchenkOptimised and Systematised Vehicle Measurement
p.56 SKFSetting the Wheels in Motion for Reducing Overhauls
p.54 UPCOMING EVENTS
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We caught up with KehraTec’sfounder Carsten Kehr at InnoTrans to find out a bit more about the company and his aspirations for it.
KehraTec interview
By Josephine Cordero Sapién
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When we met you at InnoTrans, weloved your stand, but we also thoughtyou had a great playlist! So as anopener, I’m going to have to ask, what’splaying on your stereo right now?We’ve been playing Seeed amongst other things. ;-)
You have a quote on your website oftenattributed to Henry Ford thatessentially says ‘nothing ventured,nothing gained’. Is that the mind-setwith which you set up KehraTec? Whatgave you the idea? Over many years I have experienced that integratedhardware and software systems suppliers aroundthe world are playing a seminal role through theirsymbiosis between highly intelligent camerasystems and robotics. That’s why I ultimatelydecided to go down this route.
My favourite Henry Ford quote is ‘If Ihad asked people what they wanted,they would have said ‘faster horses’’. Doyou sometimes go to (potential) clientsand don’t just provide them with asolution they ask you for, but you’reable to give them a whole newperspective? That’s exactly our intention. We take on our clients’applications and then offer them an individual
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Your company’s based in the Sauerlandregion of Germany. Do you benefitfrom the ‘Made in Germany’ image andhow international is your client-base?What markets would you still like to tapinto?Yes, Made in Germany is a factor. Generallyspeaking, however, the crucial criterion is
solution that is based on the current state of thetechnology.
What is crucial here is that we’re at home in manydifferent areas of industry. As a result, we don’t justoffer the ‘usual’ industry solutions. Instead, we’reable to shift a client’s focus thanks to our extensiveexpert knowledge, if need be.
You are obviously involved in manydifferent industries with yourautomation technology. However, whatproducts do you produce for the railindustry?We can help with the automatic laying of sleepersand 3D laser systems. We can use robots toseparate out unsorted objects, we supply timberlaying systems. We also have fully automatictension clamp production lines and so on.
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What achievements areyou most proud of?Having a team with which we canmeet these highest standards ofautomation and with which wehave met these standardssuccessfully in the past.
Quite generally, whatdevelopments do you seeoccurring in the rail sectorthat you think will beparticularly relevant forthe future? The arrival of industry 4.0!
You’ve been to InnoTranstwice now. What havebeen the best experiences
you’ve made at the show?Both times we participated, it wasvery intense. It’s not possible forme to differentiate the two. What Ican say in summary is that thanksto our many years of workdeveloping our business andaccruing the associated industryexpertise, along with our technicalabilities, we have achieved a highlevel of acceptance among ourclients.
InnoTrans2018 – will yoube there? Definitely. ;-)We’re already working on theconcept for our visit to the tradefair in 2018 since we and ourclients care very much aboutsustainability.
combining all the high-techtechnologies under one roof. Wewant to be active around theworld.
What are the short andmedium-term goals forKehraTec?We want to be firm entity on theglobal market within the railindustry.
What are the biggestchallenges KehraTec hasto master?Always being allowed to masterclients’ new requirements relatingto their projects. 99% of the timewe build solutions that have neverbeen done before.
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Company AMEST has developed a new solution for automatic control of wheelsetdimensions by placing the radial-axialmeasuring units on cross-linear supports.
Automatic MeasuringStation KS-619 forWheelset DimensionsChecking
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After this measurement, radial-
axial units move back into their
basic positions and the clamping
tailstocks put the measured
wheelsets into rails, where
external manipulators take them
for subsequent sorting into good
pieces or scrap.
The measuring station forwheelset control is placed directlybehind the pressing machine,when, after wheel pressing hastaken place, the wheelset ismoved into the basic position ofthe measuring station.
Device dimensionsWidth: 2600 mmLength: 5000 mmHeight: 2400 mm
Device weightTotal weight of the device isapprox. 250 kg.
Measured parameters- Wheel diameters- Radial and axial run-out of the wheels
- Track gauge value
- Dimension A, B
Accuracy of measurement Accuracy of the measurement
(repeatability): ± 0.001 mm
Description of device measuringcycle:Clamping tailstocks will clamp
wheelsets into pins and lift
wheelsets to the same height
every time, regardless of the
wheelset type. While being lifted,
the wheelset starts to rotate.
Radial-axial measuring units on
cross-linear supports measure all
parameters during the wheelset
rotation.
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MINIATURECIRCUIT PROTECTION For Rail Signaling & Infrastructure
Carling Technologies LTD 4 Airport Business Park, Exeter Airport, Clyst Honiton, Exeter, Devon, EX5 2UL, UK
ADVANTAGES: Hydraulic-Magnetic Circuit Protection
advantages when compared to thermal circuit breakers.Carling Technologies RAILWAY hydraulic-magnetic circuit breakers are designed in compliance with industry safety standards
• Not affected by extreme temperatures• The overcurrent sensing mechanism reacts only to changes of current
in the circuit being protected• No heat induced tripping and no cool down necessary for resetting • Common trip linkage assures all poles trip during overcurrent conditions• Ratings of .02 to 700 amps up to 125VDC & 600VAC
• EN 60077• EN 45545-2• NF F16-101• IEC 61373
With decades of design and manufacturing experience, Carling Technologies offers a complete line of hydraulic-magnetic circuit breakers offering maximum circuit protection for signaling and infrastructures in the railway industry. With over nine decades of product development and manufacturing experience, our products are ideally suited for applications with the most stringent requirements.
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A-Series
G-Series
C-Series
E-Series
C-Series ROCB
F-Series
Circuit breaker with remote operated module.
Ideal for high amperage, high current and critical applications having inductive loads under extreme temperature conditions.
Ideal for high amperage and voltage applications.
Ideal for high current and high voltage
protector and as a manual motor controller.
• 1-6 Poles• Ratings: 0.02-250A, up to 150VDC, 480VAC• UL489, UL1077, CSA, VDE-0642 & TUV
• 1-6 Poles• Ratings: .1-100A, up to 125VDC, 600VAC• UL489, UL1077, CSA & VDE
• 1-3 Poles• Ratings: 0.02-100A, up to 125VDC, 480VAC• UL489, UL1077, CSA, & TUV
• 1-3 Poles• Ratings: 100-700A, up to 125VDC, 277VAC•
Compact and ideal for full load amp applications.
DIN rail mounted breaker accommodates 35mm x (7.5mm or 15mm) din rails.
• 1-6 Poles• Ratings: 0.02-50A, up to 80VDC, 250VAC• UL489, UL1077, TUV, VDE & CSA
• 1-4 Poles• Ratings: 0.02-63A, up to 125VDC, 480VAC• Meets IEC spacing requirements • UL489, UL1077, CSA & TUV
MINIATURE CIRCUIT BREAKERS
Tel: Int + 44 1392-364422 Email: [email protected] WWW.CARLINGTECH.COM
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With energy being such a core element of howwe live and work, it is vital that we invest inreliable, efficient, smart power solutions. Wetherefore spoke with Harry Lilja from Powernetat InnoTrans to learn more about Powernet andits power supply systems and converters for therail market.
We live in a world where energy is everything.It quite literally powers us. Our demand for energy has been going up and is projected to increase globally in the future in both OECDand non-OECD countries, according to the US Energy Information Administration.
The Vice Presidentof Powernet chats to Railway-News
By Josephine Cordero Sapién
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need that they have? Isthat how you keep theinnovation as yours? Yes, basically yes and this is quitecommon model in the powersupply market. So the supplier’sreward is that he keeps the newstandard of platform he has beendeveloping.
Other than customerswanting their ownbranding on yourproducts, what othermodifications might theyask for?The biggest modification ofcourse is developing a completeunit.
Can you tell me a bitabout the ADC9000module here? What wouldthat power? This is what is called auxiliarypower, so it’s the power that is notdriving the train, it’s lights, air-conditioning, doors, brakes, thedifferent equipment in the trainthat uses electricity. Our story inrail actually we started in 2006–7when Stadler sold the Flirt trains toHelsinki – the new trains forregional traffic in Helsinki – andwe were asked to make a batterycharger for that train. Stadler washappy and then we got moreenquiries.
Where are you market-wise at the moment? Stadler has sold trains to Russiaand that has of course been theone advantage for us because ourneighbour is Russia so we havelong history making business withthe Russians and also we knowsomething about the certificationsthat they require in Russia.
Mr Lilja, we hope you’rehaving a successful show.Thank you for chattingwith us today so we canlearn a bit more aboutwhat you do. What’s thehistory of Powernet as acompany?A: Basically, we are a smallcompany established in 1992 inFinland so we are soon 25 years ofage and we do nothing else thanpower supplies. Basically fordifferent industrial customers andthe rail business. Actually we hadsome first shots already, really inthe early days, some small unitswere I think sold to a companywho delivered some system toLondon underground. 20 yearsago.
So you don't workexclusively in the railindustry?A: No, the rail industry is onlyabout 20% of our business. But it'swhere we have been able to growvery fast in the last five to six years.
Why is that? Have you putmore effort into makingyour rail industry sectorgrow or is that a changethat happenedorganically?Over our 25-year history we havealways been a low-volume high-mix type of company withbasically 100s of customers. Andof course being a small company,usually you are forced to ornaturally guided into this kind ofenvironment with low volumesand high mix because if volumesget really big then you are alwaysfacing the big competitors in themarket and somebody will have abigger advantage of the volumeslike in Asia or something like that.
That’s the kind of environment wehave always been working in. Nosingle customer is bigger thanabout 10% of our business.
You have your standardpower supply units, butyou also producemodified units for clients,correct? A: The size of the company weare, we are about ten million eurosin revenues. We can’t reallycompete in the market with thebig guys, they will always have acost advantage because ofvolumes and supply chains andother things so it means that wego for more or less niche productswhich need some kind ofmodification or customerspecification for different reasonsso customers might want to havetheir own brand for example –that’s the easiest, you just put yourlabel on and they want to controltheir own after market.
The units on display atyour stand – are these allunmodified? Is this yourstarting point or havethese ones already beenmodified?A: We always have a leadcustomer with us. It starts as aspecial version for this customerfor a project they're working on,and then of course as a bonusfrom that we have a kind ofplatform after the purchase isfinished and we can use that unitthen for the next customer or thenext project, hopefully withouttoo much modification.
Do you also go topotential customers andsay to them you’veidentified a power supply
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money on the first project, whichis typical in this industry. But thenfor the rail industry it is also typicalthat the customer will need tohave extensions on the contract.They get ten more units orderedon the same train and at that pointyou start to earn money back.
What product from yourrange is your maininnovation? This 3kw unit. The main advantageis its light and small size and thatgoes hand-in-hand with therequirement that you have lessand less space in the train. Weightof course is an issue because thetrain will probably brake andaccelerate for 40 years and eachkg you have extra will need energyto be moved. So 1kg youaccelerate for 40 years – that’show many thousand times? Sohow much energy will that take?So this compactness and lightnessis really important.
And then we have our crownjewel here: this batterymanagement system is the nextlevel of solution because this ismore a stand-alone unit and it is asystem so you have several unitsand a control box, controllingelectronics with micro-processorsthat works on balancing the loadover many units so you canactually run them optimised.
What would that be usedfor? It is used to optimise the efficiencyof the system so it works in anefficient way. Less heat comingout, and lifetime obviously will belonger if you use it optimallyinstead of running one unit 100%while the other one is waiting. Youcan balance the load over severalunits for example and this wholesystem is integrated with the trainmanagement system.
Them having differentones, being outside theEU?Yes they have their ownauthorities and certifications andrules. One special thing is, it’s acold environment so when you goto Siberia or somewhere you needto have units that work at minus50 degrees Celsius which doesn'tmake any sense for example in theUK or in France but it is a specialrequirement for them.
Are these units in the bellyof the train or are theyexposed? They’re in cabinets inside the train.
Could they be usedoutside? Yes, we’re actually working on aproduct that will be for the train’srooftop.
Is that for Russian trains? No, they’re going to be in theGerman market.
It gets cold there as well.Maybe not quite minus 50. No but of course when you go tothe rooftops you get rain comingdown, plus of course sunshine,which can make it extremely hoton the surface. On a hot day whenthe train stands still at the station,the sun is shining right on itcooling becomes an issue then.
Now that you’re almost 25years old, what are yourgoals from hereon in? We want to have more customersand of course we want to havemore projects also with the oldcustomers. Small projects areoften challenging because youneed to invest in certification andusually you don't make much
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lifetime of the battery. This is, ifyou think about this intelligenceand what to talk about there this issomething we are working on. Itwouldn't probably go on boardfirst, it would probably be sometrackside thing first but under theterm of intelligence we areworking on that kind of thing yes.
Mr Lilja, thank you somuch for taking the timeto speak with us. We hopeyou have a successful restof the show!Thank you!
You said rail is about 20%of your business at themoment. Is that going tobe much bigger in thefuture, is it ever going tobe a dominant sector foryou?It is not our biggest yet, but it hasbeen growing quite rapidly now,40% per year for the past 3 years.
One point more about powersupplies in general I mean this isactually not rocket sciencebecause power supplies I meananybody can basically design so itis really difficult to make yourselfunique and of course the bestpossibilities is now with thesystem because it has more andmore software inside so it starts tohave its own intelligence whereasthe stand alone boxes are reallystupid boxes, you know youconnect some sort of wire to oneend and you have another wire inthe other end and it just transfersenergy from one level to another.But now the systems starts to havesome microprocessor which isprogrammed with actual softwareso then you can actually start tokind of differentiate yourself fromcompetition and then youintegrate yourself deeper with thecustomers system so then you arenot actually replaceable anymorebecause it takes a year to get agood integration and then youknow if somebody wants to goand buy a replacement to you itdoesn't work anymore like thatbecause you need to have thesame kind of integration to workwith the other guy.
What are the mostimportant concepts foryou for the future? Intelligence and integration arethe real things because all ourother stuff is basically hardware
and anybody can do it. Thencome the soft things like yourattitude, your flexibility, your co-operation with the customers.We have actually in some otherareas in the company we areworking on an intelligent chargerwhich is actually predicting batterylife with some new algorithms.This system will not be in rail but itcould be trackside actually. Youcould have a battery back-up forexample in trackside applications,so we are working on a chargerwhich is actually monitoring thebattery constantly and making areally good prediction on the
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It is no longer possible to imaginemodern, networked businesseswithout digitalisation.
The digital work site:Modern. Intelligent.Connected.
© Tom Schulze
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monitor highly complex processesat the construction site withpractically just one finger.Customers of the GoldschmidtThermit Group can use the app torecord, check, document,compare and archive relevantmeasurement data and processparameters directly on theirsmartphone or tablet in aconvenient, secure manner. In this way intelligent control unitswith a digital interface sustainablyimprove the quality of the weldingprocesses on the track and thesafety of rail operations. Theimplementation of these digitalsystems in the welding process
New standards in quality, safety,transparency and efficiency haveincreased requirements for theconstruction and maintenance of railway tracks. In this area, theGoldschmidt Thermit Group seesitself as a pioneer in the service of our customers, enablingprogress and growth through thedigitalisation of work processes.
The automatic recording andprocessing of data in real time will enable highly complexsequences at the work site to bemonitored with a single finger: our customers can record, check and create protocols for relevantmeasurement data for key process parameters directly with smartphones or tablets,easily and securely by using anapp. In addition, the data can becompared and safely archived.Intelligent control units with digitalinterfaces allow for sustainableimprovement of the quality of thewelding processes used for tracksand extend the service life of the rail infrastructure. Theimplementation of these digitalsystems in the welding processenables easy, reliable and directaccess to databases withreference parameters for manywelding processes. Moreover, inthe future, digital error analysis will make it possible to deliver the first predictive, intelligentinfrastructure management and a reliable, automated wearforecast. And not only that: digital networking, control andmonitoring of tools, processes
and production results at the digitalwork site mean an advancementin quality and productivity that issimply a pleasure!
Goldschmidt Digital:One app for all thedigital productapplications of theGoldschmidtThermit GroupThe GOLDSCHMIDT DIGITALAPP enables the automatedrecording and editing of data inreal time. The app allows users to
© Tom Schulze
© Tom Schulze
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© Tom Schulze
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TRACKSAFE LUBE, theGoldschmidt lubrication systemfor improving the wheel/railcontact, has now been connectedto a new intelligent control unit.Connected via Bluetooth, the unitenables control of TRACKSAFELUBE via mobile devices andconnection to theGOLDSCHMIDT DIGITAL APP.This in turn enables the receivingof data and parameters on thedevice status and saving andexport of data and statisticsincluding the dosing settings ofthe lubricant with the possibility of a quick status query andconfiguration on site with thesetting and receiving of warningson critical parameters.
The RAILSTRAIGHT precisionmeasurement devices, with thevariants COMPACT, WAVE andDUAL, allow highly precisemeasurements of the straightnessand surface quality of rails and of the local corrugation of thetracks. They are connected to theGOLDSCHMIDT DIGITAL APP viaBluetooth. In addition to the highprecision achieved using a micro-magnetic measurement process,the devices also impress throughtheir robust design suitable for use on railway tracks, featuringhigh mobility, a high-performanceinternal lithium ion rechargeablebattery and automatic calibrationat 30-second intervals.
Further information is availableonline atwww.goldschmidt-thermit.com.
enables convenient and reliabledirect access to databases withreference values for numeroustypes of welding processes.
Our GOLDSCHMIDT DIGITALAPP gives you access to all thedigital applications of theGoldschmidt Thermit Group. Youcan use the app on allsmartphones or tablets that use anAndroid operating system.
The digitalapplications havethe followingfunctionalities:* immediate availability of measurement results through on-screen evaluation
* data export via csv or pdf sent via email
* data transmission via Bluetooth
* direct access to references for welds and measurements via database
* intuitive user interface
* GPS positioning
The new SMARTWELD RECORDfor intelligent monitoring anddocumentation of the preheatingprocess of the THERMIT® weldwith the aid of theGOLDSCHMIDT DIGITAL APPenables users to document thecomplete welding processincluding the traceability andreproducibility of the THERMIT®
weld. Using SMARTWELD
RECORD, the preheatingparameters for the THERMIT®
weld are recorded and documented via theGOLDSCHMIDT DIGITAL APP. The subsequent process steps are prescribed and recorded in a user-friendly and error-freemanner for the responsiblewelder. This results in the ideal use of welding materials and thecorrect execution of the processto achieve a high-quality weld.The process parameters can becentrally saved and evaluatedusing the GOLDSCHMIDTDIGITAL APP. The SMARTWELDRECORD contributes to thedocumentation of the high qualityof the weld.
The innovative SMARTWELD JET propane air burner furtherautomates the preheating process of the THERMIT® weldand ensures the highest safety,economy and quality of the weld. The burner works withoutcompressed oxygen, automatesthe preheating step and thusguarantees error-free and safework processes. The economy ofthe welding activities is increasedas a result of lower costs andreduced weight, thanks to theelimination of oxygen bottles andalso through avoiding executionerrors and by generating thedocumentation of the completewelding process on site using theGOLDSCHMIDT DIGITAL APP.The SMARTWELD JET ensuressecure and reproducibleexecution of the preheatingprocess to guarantee the highest quality for the weld.
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How many times have youexhibited at InnoTrans?What have been the mainpositives for you to comeout of the show?We exhibited at InnoTrans for thelast 5 editions, including 2016.
First of all, being at InnoTrans is avery good way to have a globalview of the mass transit industry.For us it is very important tounderstand the threats, the trendsand look at opportunities.InnoTrans is clearly helping us inthat regard.
Secondly, since we have a uniqueflooring offer, it is a good way tointerest new potential clients.
Thirdly, it helps us to understandthe different requirements of thisworldwide market.
We wanted to find out more aboutthe unsung heroes of the railindustry so we had a chat withCEO of Baultar, SimonArchambault.
Can you tell me a little bitabout your company,Baultar, its history andmilestones?Baultar is a family company. It wasfounded in 1984 by my father,Bruno Archambault. We are aCanadian company based in thesouthern region of the province ofQuebec. We have two divisions,flooring and seating, both focusedon the rail transportation industry.Since the start, our companymission is to develop solutions forour clients through a problemsolving approach. We started,back in the mid-80s, by
developing an operator seat
solution for North American
freight locomotive cabs in order to
fix comfort and ergonomic issues.
We clearly contributed to
improving the quality of the cab
interior. In 1990, we acquired our
flooring technology. During the
90s we worked very hard to
position our product in the North
American market. We contributed
with our higher-value products to
change the mindset in the
industry: it is better to invest in
more durable products that will be
economical over the life-cycle
than spend money on cheaper but
less durable products. Now, after
so many years of keeping the
same speech, we feel that the
market is ready and we are in a
position to grow our business.
If InnoTrans proves anything at all, it is that thereis a vast myriad of products and solutions that is required for delivering a functioning railwaynetwork, all of which come together to makeour trains run so that most of us are fortunateenough to take them for granted every day.
Simon Archambault of Baultar chats to Railway-News
By Josephine Cordero Sapién
26
robust, more comfortable and
simpler. They will better satisfy
the users, prevent health problems
due to faulty seats adjustments,
last longer, and be easier to
maintain.
What challenges do youface within the industry?Mastering all the different
requirements of the industry and
then adapting our products is one
of our biggest challenge.
What has been thestandout proudestmoment for Baultar?I think that moving our flooring
division into a brand new facility in
2014 was a big moment for the
Baultar team. It showed that our
team work and tenacity over the
years were paying off with results.
We needed this new installation
after the closing of important
contracts.
You make both flooringand seating products.What have been yourmain innovations in theseareas?We developed many new andinnovative products over theyears. But our main ones are thedevelopment of a locomotive cabseat product line; thedevelopment of a highly durablecomplete flooring system thatcombines the functions of floorcovering, structural sub-floor andfloor heating (Abrastop FOAMHeating floor); and thedevelopment of a new operatorseat product line for the railtransportation European market(SITI seat).
What would you saymakes you stand out as acompany? What factorshave contributed to yoursuccess?Our minding that we always haveto add more value to our offer inorder to satisfy our clients. We dothat by being flexible and bymastering our products andtechnology. All that makes uscapable of solving real problemsfor our clients.
What markets are youcurrently ininternationally? Are thereany you would like toexpand in?
We mainly focus on the railtransportation market. However,we are looking forward toexpanding in the architecturalmarket with our flooring system.
What plans anddevelopments lie in storefor Baultar for the future?We would like to position ourflooring and seating solutions inEurope. We are finalizing thedevelopment of a new seat (SITI)that meets the Europeanstandards. We presented our finalSITI seat prototype in Paris andBerlin in 2016. We hope to get ourfirst orders next year.
Can you tell me aboutsome of the key benefitsof your products?Our flooring solutions are highlydurable and they will last the life ofthe railcar. The main benefit istherefore to be more economicalover the life-cycle.
Our seating solutions are more
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Visitors to InnoTrans this year were ableto see the eye-catching equipment ofdepot maintenance specialist Mechan inaction for the very first time.
Mechan enjoys busiestInnoTrans ever
project. Its most recent orderscame from the Rail InnovationDevelopment Centre near Melton Mowbray in Leicestershire, where the new high-speed trains are being trialled.
Working with civil engineersConstruction Marine, Mechandesigned and fitted a bespoke
A full-size working lifting jackformed the centrepiece of theSheffield-based manufacturer’sdisplay and it was certainly an arresting sight, with moredelegates than ever stopping to find out more.
VIP visitors were no exception,with rail minister Paul Maynardcalling in for a chat on a tour of the UK Pavilion.
Richard Carr, Mechan’s chiefexecutive, said: “We were reallypleased that Mr Maynard showedsuch enthusiasm for our work. He was keen to learn about ourrecent design innovations and the role we are playing in key railinfrastructure projects. He toppedoff a fantastically busy week for us at the world-famous trade fair.”
As MP for Blackpool, Mr Maynardhas seen first-hand how one of Mechan’s turntables benefitsoperations at the town’s tram depot. He was especiallyinterested in the firm’s work with
the Intercity Express Programme(IEP) and Crossrail, both of whichare specifying Mechan equipmentfor their maintenance facilities.
Express DeliveriesTo date, Mechan has supplied five sites associated with theDepartment for Transport’s IEP
Mechan’s stand, complete with working jack,at this year’s InnoTrans.
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maintenance centres, plus a pairof 80-tonne traversers to HitachiRail’s vehicle manufacturingfacility in County Durham.
Traversers are a perfect exampleof Mechan’s bespoke engineeringskills. No job is too large or smalland a completely individual designcan be produced to meetworkshop constraints and vehiclerequirements.
The two Newton Aycliffetraversers were developed tomove carriages between 33 tracks inside the plant and out to the test area. The internal unitwas specified with a customisedlow-profile design and four-metrehydraulic ramps, to allow traffic topass through the traverser pit. The external installation has amore conventional construction,but was fitted with a canopy toprotect Hitachi’s vehicles from the elements.
A three-road equipment drop, 40 lifting jacks and two bogieturntables are currently inproduction for the IEP depotbeing built in Doncaster. Bogiehandling is another specialist area for Mechan and its versatileequipment drops are becomingincreasingly sought after, as theymake bogie change feasible within two hours.
New depots are not just beingerected to care for the IEP trains,but also the vehicles responsiblefor carrying out the necessary lineupgrades. Mechan has supplied afurther eight 25-tonne lifting jacksto Network Rail’s GBP sevenmillion High Output OperationalBase near Swindon. They will be used at the behind-the-scenesfacility to maintain the 23-vehicleHigh Output Plant System,responsible for installing overhead electric cabling along the mainline route.
bogie bridge that spans the widthof an existing bogie drop pit,improving vehicle access into therail shed. It also provided NetworkRail, operators of the centre(formerly known as the Old DalbyTest Track), with eight 25-tonnemobile lifting jacks with movinganvils, to enable the incoming IEPtrains to be assessed fully.
The jacks will work as onesynchronised set to give thefacility the extra capacity toaccommodate longer vehicles.Using Mechan’s patented Megalink
controller, any number of unitscan be linked together via a singlecable and operated by just oneperson from a portable, touchscreen HMI panel. It providesconstant feedback on the lift,records information about usageand faults and offers impressivepower savings.
Calls for Mechan’s equipment and expertise have come from allareas of the IEP and the firm hasalready delivered lifting jacks and equipment drops to the Stoke Gifford and North Pole
Mechan’s jacks in operation at the HighOutput Operational Base near Swindon.
One of the bespoke traversers built by Mechanfor Hitachi’s Newton Aycliffe facility.
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Zwiehoff. We’re also lookingforward to continuing ourrelationship with all partnersinvolved in the IEP, particularly asthe new Doncaster facility takesshape on our doorstep.”
For more information aboutMechan’s InnoTrans success, or itswide range of depot maintenanceequipment, telephone (0114) 2570563, visit www.mechan.co.ukor follow the firm on Twitter,@mechanuk.
CrossrailCollaborationOne of Mechan’s largest contractsof the year came from the capital’sCrossrail project.
The firm was asked to producemore than GBP one million ofmaintenance equipment for thenew eight-road Old Oak Commondepot in northwest London, whichwill accommodate 33 of the 66trains being introduced to thelocal rail network.
A set of 30 lifting jacks, five bogieturntables and a three-road bogiedrop have been commissioned by Bombardier, who are buildingthe depot, supplying the trains and maintaining them, once theproject is complete. Mechan will be fulfilling the order in twostages, with an initial batch ofproducts scheduled for installationbefore the end of this year. Theremaining items will be deliveredearly in 2017, before the first trainsarrive in May.
Working with VolkerFitzpatrick,Mechan also designed and built a 130-tonne, two-road traverserto suit the tight confines ofCrossrail’s Ilford facility, enablingvehicles to be manoeuvredaround a new paint shop. Due to the limited space available, itwas not possible to use sidings to transfer carriages from the shot blast bay to the paint booth,so an alternative was required.
Having collaborated on a similarproject at the Port of Felixstowe,VolkerFitzpatrick knew Mechanhad the technical know-how tocreate a suitable solution to itsspace issues. The 28m longtraverser was constructed andtested before being disassembledand moved to site in componentssmall enough to fit into the Ilford
facility. It was then rebuilt on site and proof tested to carry loads of 162 tonnes, beforeentering service.
Richard Carr added: “We areenjoying a steady stream of orders from these two high-profile projects and our work is by no means complete. Furtherequipment is in the pipeline forIlford, including jacks, bogieturntables, a lift table and twoelectrically powered shuntersfrom our European partner,
The lifting jacks and equipment drop deliv-ered to London’s North Pole depot.
Mechan’s traverser at workin the Ilford facility.
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such as pantographs, doormechanisms and couplings. Thecompany’s range of rugged hosesand connectors designed andapproved specifically for use in railapplications were also on display.
Parker would like to thank all ofthe visitors who came to theirstand for their interest andsupport. For further informationon any of their solutions for therail industry please contact Parkerat [email protected] or visitparker.com/rail
During the show, Parker displayeda wide range of components andsolutions from multipletechnologies, includingpneumatics, electromechanicaland fluid control solutionsengineered to meet customerrequirements and help driveadvancements in the rail industry.
With Parker’s focus on developingsolutions for customers’ needs,the exhibition provided the perfectopportunity for their experiencedteam to meet with customers
across Europe and to learn moreabout their needs andrequirements for the future.
InnoTrans 2016 saw Parkerconcentrate on their totalsolutions approach, showcasingproducts found in all areas of therail vehicle. These included airtreatment and filtration equipmentfor pneumatic systems, controlvalves and related componentsdesigned specifically for railapplications, plus integratedcontrol systems for applications
Parker Hannifin, the global leader in motion and control technologies,demonstrated an expansive range of technology solutions at this year’sInnoTrans rail exhibition in Berlin.
Parker Hannifin demonstrate total solutions approach at InnoTrans 2016
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About ParkerHannifinWith annual sales of approximately$13 billion in fiscal year 2015,Parker Hannifin is the world'sleading diversified manufacturer ofmotion and control technologiesand systems, providing precision-engineered solutions for a widevariety of mobile, industrial andaerospace markets. The companyemploys approximately 55,000people in 50 countries around the world. Parker has increased its annual dividends paid toshareholders for 59 consecutivefiscal years, among the top fivelongest-running dividend-increaserecords in the S&P 500 index. For more information, visit the company's website atwww.parker.com, or itsinvestor information website at www.phstock.com.
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Independent engineering services from A to ZThere is growing awareness of engineering service providers who assist different industry players to create forward-looking mobility solutions, also at InnoTrans 2016.
One industry – Plenty of interdepend-ent needs
The complexity of the railway industry is reflected in the multiplicity of needs of the different industry players. On the one hand, vehicle manufacturers need help with the de-velopment of components or whole systems or they ask for support in performing a variety of measurements in the field of railway vehicle technology and operation or along the homologation process. On the other hand, rail-way operators seek strategic guidance in fleet management topics or need active support in the procurement of new vehicles from bid evaluations to supervision of the manufacture or in the modernisation of existing vehicles. Authorities also rely on the knowledge of con-sultants who provide expert assessments of all kinds of technical rolling stock issues such as structural strength and durability, running dynamics, safety, fire protection, and noise and vibrations. Last but not least, maintainers count on the expertise of advisors as regards maintenance methods, depot layouts, equip-ment and software. These are only a few of the needs expressed by the industry players.
A prerequisite for neutrality – The independence of the consultant
To deeply understand all these different and interdependent needs, one must be familiar with the market dynamics and have proven experience in facing these challenges from different perspectives. In addition, the inde-pendence of the advisors is a fundamental characteristic in order to create smart solu-tions that exceed expectations.
Everyday life teaches us that the consultant does not always have the same interests as the customer he advises. That is exactly what the economic principal-agent theory tries to explain: a dilemma arises when a person or a company (agent) is able to make decisions that impact another person / company (prin-cipal). Independence means that a company does not belong to external shareholders, but only to its own employees. When no third parties are involved, a company is motivated only to act in its own best interest and in the best interest of its customers.
PROSE – The independent mobility solutions provider
PROSE is employee owned, this let us guaran-tee independent and neutral engineering serv-ices. We work for our customers and ourselves - and no one else. Our customers - manufac-turers, operators, authorities and maintainers - trust us to deliver total solutions to complex challenges. These solutions often involve several service fields. PROSE was founded in 1982 and is an independent mobility solutions provider, which is mainly active in the rolling stock engineering field and serves global cus-tomers from its offices in Denmark, Germany, Italy, Sweden and Switzerland.
InnoTrans 2016 was an important step for us as we had the opportunity to present the new PROSE and our enriched portfolio, which enables us to deliver engineering services from A to Z. We were able to convince cus-tomers by presenting our most recent product innovation, the BrakePASS, and by exhibiting the bogie we developed for the Wuppertal
suspension railway. At InnoTrans 2016 we experienced an inspiring atmosphere, in which we visited our established customers and met new potential customers. Our meeting rooms were always booked and our agendas busy!
Efficient and safe brake tests – The brake test assistant “BrakePASS”
Our product innovation BrakePASS assists railway operators with automatic, accurate and centrally saved documentation of the brake tests. The system is composed of three elements: the test head, which documents the pressure in the brake pipe, the app, which is the user interface, and the central database, which stores all the recorded information about the performed brake test.
Railway operators can benefit from these advantages:
low implementation costs• - unchanged brake test procedures and minor training effort
automatic operation• - the user only needs to start and stop the brake test
enhanced safety• - increased reliability of the brake test
increased acceptance of the results• - accurate documentation and objectively verifiable data
Thanks to the user-friendliness of the system and the added value that the system pro-vides during common brake tests customer reactions to the BrakePASS have been very positive so far. Visit www.brakepass.one to find out more about the advantages of the system.
The BrakePASS system
www.brakepass.one
PROSE’s international engineers
New vehicles for the Wuppertal suspension railway
A unique “turnkey” system – The Wuppertal suspension railway
The general contractor Vossloh Kiepe entrusted us with the comprehensive mechanical design and the system integration of the new vehicles for the Wuppertal suspension railway.
As the new vehicles for the suspension railway had to be compatible with the existing infrastructure, PROSE developed a vehicle body that is assembled from aluminium extrusion profiles, so that the end vehicle body only weighs 5.4 tons. To meet modern passenger requirements, we realised a continuous row of windows conveying a dynamic appearance, which offers a bright and comfortable ambience to the passengers.
This unique system is one of our turnkey projects. By “turnkey” engineering we mean that we can deliver all documents required for the manufacture, the maintenance, the acceptance and the operation of rail vehicles. The manufacturer (also manufacturers of machines or non-rail vehicles who want to enter the railway market) can concentrate on building vehicles while we do the engineering and develop all necessary documents.
The successful running tests of the new vehicles were performed recently. It is the intention to put them into operation within the next few months.
The key to our success – It’s all about having the right people on board!
As a mobility solutions provider our most important resource is the people that make all this possible! We have more than 200 dedicated, experienced employees worldwide. In our daily work, we honour commitment by delegating responsibili-ties and decision-making. This gives each of us a strong feeling of ownership of our projects. It makes us willing to go the extra mile. Our corporate culture encourages each of us to be inventive, resourceful and ef-ficient. We do not shy away from difficult discussions or decisions, but enter them with respect for all parties involved and with the project’s best interests in mind.
Learn more about our 30 years of experi-ence and our over 3000 successful projects by visiting us at www.prose.one and by subscribing to our newsletter!
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Line 2, the Red Line, will run in aneast-west direction, to King SaudUniversity. This line will run aboveground along a freeway. The totallength of this line will be 23.5kilometres and have 13 stations. To learn more about the impressiveRiyadh Metro project, please readour interview with Jaime Freyreoverleaf.
One of the many vehicles at theOutdoor Display at InnoTrans 2016was the metro vehicle, type Inspiro,by Siemens, intended for theRiyadh metro, following an orderreceived in 2013. This is the biggesturban rail project currently underconstruction in the world and witha population of more than sixmillion, the city is in urgent need toimproved public transport toalleviate congestion and keep thepopulation moving. Unveiled for the first time inFebruary of this year, these 2 and 4-car trains by Siemens are perfectfor the extreme climate of SaudiArabia.
These metro vehicles are only partof Siemens’s involvement with theRiyadh metro project. Thecompany has also beencommissioned to deliverelectrification and signallingsystems.
Siemens’s Riyadh metro will run onlines 1 and 2. Delivering 74 of thesemetro trains in total, Siemensdesigned the car bodies to be 100%aluminium and suitable for standardgauge track. These vehicles’ topspeed is 90 km/h. Features thatmake this Inspiro-type vehicleperfect for the region’s climate arethe powerful air-conditioning andspecial fittings on the bogies,traction drive, brakes and doors toprevent sand from entering.
The Riyadh metro will feature atotal of six lines and is scheduled torun in 2018.
Line 1, the Blue Line, will run in anorth-south direction. It will bemostly underground, while sectionswill be elevated on a viaduct ateither end of the line. The length ofthis line is 38 kilometres and willfeature 22 stations.
The Riyadh Metro Vehicle by Siemens
On Display at InnoTrans 2016:
By Josephine Cordero Sapién
© Messe Berlin
© M
esse
Ber
lin
One of the challenges all big citiesface is moving its peopleeffectively and public transporthas a huge role to play here. TheRiyadh metro is among the mostambitious infrastructure projectstaking place in the world today.When it opens in 2019, it will becutting-edge, with driverlesstrains, a state-of-the-art signallingsystem and sleek, beautifullydesigned stations. It is a logisticalfeat, with an international teamworking on more than 100 sites toconstruct 176km of track,connecting 85 stations, to
produce a public transport systemfit for this capital’s future.
To find out more about thisexciting project, Railway-Newsspoke to one of the project’sleading figures, Jaime Freyre, CEOof FCC in Saudi Arabia and ProjectDirector for the FAST Consortiumon the Riyadh metro.
What is the necessity ofthe Riyadh metro?With six lines, 85 stations and atotal route length of 176
Riyadh is the capital of Saudi Arabia andalso the country’s largest city, with apopulation of more than seven million.
RiyadhMetro
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collectively has over 50 years’ oftunnelling experience. Eachoperation was supported by 23technicians working inside thetunnel with the TBM, replicatedacross three separate shifts, andaround 100 personnel supportingthe TBM from the outside.
FCC are also responsible for theproduction and installation ofmore than 11 km of viaductsthrough pre-cast beams anddecks solutions. Furthermore, weare responsible for themechanical, electrical andplumbing (MEP) work on both theGreen and Purple Lines.
What challenges did theconstruction processpresent (climate, sandingress, etc.)?This mega project, commissionedby ADA, is being built by threeconsortia and comes with its ownset of challenges. For example, inthe case of our FAST consortium,building the Yellow, Green, andPurple Lines with 62 km of trackand 25 stations in 60 months isquite a challenging task. Ensuringas little disruption to the daily livesof 5.7 million inhabitants aspossible is a major challenge. We
kilometres, the Riyadh metro isbeing developed by ArriyadhDevelopment Authority (ADA) –the executive arm of the HighCommission for the Developmentof Arriyadh – in partnership threeinternational consortia.
The Riyadh metro will transformthe way people move around thecity. It has been designed to formthe backbone of the publictransport system in the city, with anetwork that will cover most ofthe densely populated areas,public facilities, and theeducational, commercial andmedical institutions. Its delivery isessential to a city that is expectedto grow from 5.7 millioninhabitants today to a projected8.3 million by 2030.
What portion of the workswas FCC responsible for?FCC is the leader of FASTConsortium, which comprises ofSamsung C&T, Alstom, Strukton,and Freyssinet. Throughout its110-year history, FCCConstruction has worked onprojects covering civil works,building, refurbishment andindustrial works construction. This
includes significant experience inthe rail sector, building hundredsof kilometres of high-speed raillines, as well as metro lines inNorth and South America, Europeand the Middle East.
As part of FAST Consortium’sventure, FCC has mobilised highlyexperienced and talented crewsfrom its global offices and sites towork on the Riyadh Metro Project.For example, the FCC team whichis responsible for operating thetunnel boring machine (TBM) andthe excavation for the Green Line
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engaged with the localcommunity by inviting them tovisit the engineering works thatwere going on beneath their feet.By hosting two visits from variousschools and colleges to witnessfirst-hand the TBMs workingunder their homes, FAST openedthe eyes and minds of the visitorsto the wealth of opportunities thata career in engineering mighthold. They saw real works, doneby real people, in a real time; theyasked questions and took photos,knowing that the next time theywould be down here, they wouldbe with their friends and families,holding a ticket in their hands andtravelling across the city.
What signalling systemwill be in place?Urbalis CBTC signalling system willbe provided, the trains will be100% driverless and use the latestcommunications-based traincontrol (CBTC) technology as wellas the power supply and Alstom’senergy recovery system Hesop. Allsub-systems have been optimisedtogether to reduce energyconsumption.
What rolling stock andoperator will be in place?69 driverless Metropolis trains forthe Riyadh metro project for theYellow, Green, and Purple Linesare composed of two cars per setand are each 36 metres long. Eachtrain features three classes: first,family and single class.
Metropolis offers a large range ofoptions and configurations, a highlevel of passenger comfort andinnovative features to optimise theenergy consumption and the life-cycle costs.
The driverless trains will offerpassengers a high level ofcomfort, ergonomic seating, LED
have had to deliver utilities forconstruction works, we havedetoured some of the busiestroads in the city, and we have hadto co-ordinate activities acrossmore than 100 sites, includingstations, depots, and offices –where the work is beingconstructed simultaneously.
We have also had to gatheraccurate information about thesoil, utilities, and location of thestations, which was challenging.However, with the help of ourclient, ADA, we have managed allthis. We have also made sure thatwe are engaging with thecommunity by distributinginformation and arranging sitevisits to answer any questions orconcerns that they might have.
How were thesechallenges overcome?Collaboration: ADA’s collaborationhas been a key factor. Theirguidance and co-ordination is keyto our success. Their role was tobe the conduits with more than 22government agencies and privateagencies affected and related tothe metro project.
Defining a single strategy: FAST
has been created by fivecompanies which were selectedbased on capability, strategicgoals, and value potentials. Usingthese criteria allowed us to build asingle strategy and commonapproach. This is centred on trust,leading by example,communicating openly anddiscussing issues. Through trust,ADA and FAST have forged astrong relationship, which will helpto ensure the smooth andsuccessful delivery of the project.
Communication: Our consortiumincludes 9,500 personnel with 42nationalities and 22 differentlanguages. In order to build trust,both internally and externally, ourcommunications department andthe leadership team always havebeen clear about the need foropen and transparentcommunication with everyoneinvolved. In particular with ADA,with whom we havecommunicated very clearly fromthe outset. This relationship hasbeen allowed us to succeed inbecoming the first to start andfinish tunnelling works on theRiyadh metro project.
Community Engagement: ADAand FAST have consistently
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What is FAST’s plan next? The plan now is to prepare theconsortium to start integration ofthe MEP, track, systems, androlling stock work on time. Wealso need to co-ordinate withfuture operator and maintenancecompanies, and finalise theTransfer of Technologyprogramme.
ADA has recently launched, incollaboration with FAST, a 10-week summer trainingprogramme, which includesrehabilitating national cadres, inengineering disciplines andpreparing them to work, in theproject, during operational stages.The summer programme istargeting Saudi graduates, in thedisciplines of civil engineering,electrical engineering, mechanicalengineering and architecture, inco-operation with Saudiuniversities.
lightning, air-conditioning andadvanced passenger informationsystems.
When will the metroopen?The project is scheduled to becompleted by 2019.
Are there any specialmoments that madeworking on the projectparticularly notable?There are two special moments tome personally. The first was whenthe excavation work ended theGreen Line’s 13 km tunnel. Wewere the first consortium to starttunnel excavation in the Riyadhmetro project, the first to use aTBM in the Kingdom and the firstto complete tunnel works on theGreen Line.
The second was when we were
joined by the residences of Salah
Al-Din district to be part of the
ceremony celebrating our TBM
named San’ah breaking through
and reaching its first station. This
occasion was celebrated by both
FAST Consortium’s employees and
the citizens of the local area who
were invited by ADA to celebrate
this historic experience. Their
presence reinforced the role they
are playing to help deliver this
mega project in Riyadh. The
citizens of Salah Al-din district
witnessed how the machine’s
cutter head broke through the
walls of the station, which is 25
metres deep, and commemorated
FAST Saudi engineers who
operated the machine coming out
of the tunnel. It was a proud
moment for all of us.
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practice. In the bogie pressuremeasuring stand or whenmeasuring corner load or verticalwheel force, force and geometryare measured simultaneously, sothe issue of deformation underload and therefore the effect on load distribution is taken into account.
On the track, force measurementstill takes priority because thesimultaneous measurement of
Optimized and systematizedvehicle measurement for qualityimprovement in rail vehicleconstruction
Innovations in the rail industryhave to impress rail passengers.Only then does innovation have areal purpose. The requirementsare obvious: Better punctuality,less noise, greater availability,better capacity utilization, lowerenergy consumption. Not tomention improved comfort,reliability, and of course maximumsafety and value for money. Itsounds simple, and it basicallymeans a demand for improvedquality of existing possibilities.
From the development process to production, maintenance and field-based monitoring, themeasurement of geometry dataand forces plays a crucial role.Vehicle manufacturers,infrastructure and rail operatorsand maintenance companiesperform measurements every day, sometimes recording huge volumes of data.
While measuring geometry data is an everyday occurrence,measuring this data and changesin geometry under load is a muchmore challenging task. Yet it’s only the combination of force and geometry information thatcan provide reliable data, forexample relating to the anticipatedcomfort of travel or for estimatingthe degree of derailmentprotection. In the workshop, this is increasingly becoming standard
For quality improvement in railvehicle construction
Optimised and systematised vehiclemeasurement
Measurement uncertainty of vertical wheel forces
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weighed statically, one axle at atime, on a singular wheel forcemeasurement device, thenweighed dynamically in thesecond step and the wheel forceswere calculated. Only the level ofthe measurement track and themeasurement uncertainty of theforce measuring device wereverified by means of a referenceload cell. This was done withoutconsideration of the vehicleinfluence, i.e. the interplaybetween the measuring systemand the vehicle system. Otherinfluences caused by the operator,weather, temperature, trackconfiguration and so on were also not taken into account. Thevariations within several series ofmeasurements (reproducibilitymeasurements) were
geometries from outside – on thevehicle or indeed on the deformedtrack – is no trivial matter.
And finally, field-based systemsallow vehicles to be monitoredduring operation. This means that unusual load distributions orunusual dynamic loads (e.g. ofout-of-round wheels) can bedetected promptly and in good time. Condition-basedmaintenance becomes a reality.For the most part, vehiclemanufacturers, infrastructure andrail operators and maintenancecompanies work independently of one another. Each party has its own aims, measuring methods,databases and evaluationprocedures. Some of thesemethods and data are completely
different, which includes themeasurement errors, verificationmethods and calibrationprocedures.
What would happen if moreexchange of data and knowledgetook place in the rail industry?
Here is an example of a vehiclemanufacturer which systematicallyoptimized its measurementtechnology by using field- andtrack-based data. When recordingvertical wheel forces, it's essentialto calculate the (overall)measurement uncertainties.
With the previous, conventionalapproach, the status of theprocess measurement uncertaintywas unknown. The vehicle was
MULTIRAIL® CornerLoad
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vertical wheel forces / verticalwheel force distribution.
The example described above illustrates how essential its success is to the vehiclemanufacturer, but there are also fundamental benefits whenconsistent measurement data isused across the board, up to andincluding the adaptation of acomplete test process.
When approval authorities, vehicle developers, vehiclemanufacturers, train operators and workshops work closelytogether, share data and to someextent analyze and interpret datatogether, then improved quality in rail vehicle constructionbecomes a competitive advantagefor all stakeholders, but above all, rail travel becomes moreattractive to all of us.
www.schenckprocess.com
correspondingly high, notexplainable, and unsatisfactory.
By examining the operating dataof network and vehicle operators,the vehicle manufacturer was ableto very quickly develop acompletely new measurementconcept. Instead of singularmeasurements, the individualwheels are now recorded severaltimes during the slow transit (a process referred to as ‘quasi-static’ measurement). The measurement points aredistributed over a defined area of track. This allows a wide rangeof conditions relating to theinteraction of vehicle, track andmeasuring equipment to berecorded, fully corresponding tolater operational use. The vehiclepasses over the measuring systemin both orientations and bothdirections of travel. For eachwheel, this means an averaging of 4 (journeys) × 8 (measurement
points) = 32 measurements.
The reproducibility variationsbetween the specific verticalwheel forces of a wheel is now the measure for the measurementuncertainty of the overall process.In the new measurement process,in addition to level under load and the static measurementuncertainty of the force measuring device calculated with the reference load cell, the quasi-static measurementuncertainty in interaction with thevehicle is therefore also verified inrelation to the vertical wheel forcethrough the ‘vehicle rotation test’(changing the vehicle's directionof orientation). The measuredvalue is returned through the(statically measured) total of thevertical wheel forces of the tested vehicle (corresponding tothe vehicle mass). This remainsconstant (within the specifiedtolerances) despite the changing
MULTIRAIL® BogieLoad: installed in 2012 at SIEMENSAG Austria, Rail Systems, Graz works
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Schenck Process’s track-based systems reliably measure the safety-relevant load status of trains and reliably detect force impacts, which might be triggered by defective wheels. Precise measurement and calibrated weighing? We provide the basis for calculations in relation to internal check weighing and legal-for-trade weighing for individual wagons and train sets. Quiet, comfortable and low-wear rolling stock is the result of intensive development work. Schenck Process supports vehicle manufacturers and maintenance workshops with reliable measurements in the context of bogie testing and corner load measurement. www.schenckprocess.com
DERAILMENT PROTECTION
TRADE & TRUST
WORKSHOP TEST EQUIPMENT
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in 2014, it is a spin off from theSwiss Federal Institute ofTechnology in Lausanne. So theway it was created, basically theEPFL (ed.: École PolytechniqueFédérale de Lausanne) applied tohost a European project onautonomous mobility and the twoco-founders worked on thisapplication; one for the EPFL andanother one through Anne, whowas at the time in an urban
Here at Railway-News we’vealways taken a keen interest inpushing innovation in the railsector and to give a voice to start-ups with new, impressive ideasthat will hopefully develop to giveus the smart, efficient, greendoor-to-door transport systemthe industry is working towards. Asa result we swung by the FutureMobility Park to chat with BestMileand learn about their story.
Can you tell me a bit moreabout what you do andabout the background ofBestMile? What made youcome to InnoTrans?Maud Simon: Ok so I will startwith the background on BestMileand then let you know why wecame here.
So BestMile has been incorporated
A major factor in keeping rail successfuland competitive in our mobile world isnot to see rail in isolation but as a vitalcomponent in intermodal transport,both for passengers and freight.
BestMile
By Josephine Cordero Sapién
Smart Shuttle
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station. You have to be able to
charge all of your shuttles without
disrupting the network. So, that is
a pretty complex problem and if
you add that to the already
complex problem of optimising
the complete network, this is a lot
of work that the platform has to
do. So it uses an algorithm that we
have developed in-house but also
with the help of the Swiss Federal
Institute of Technology. So we
have people developing the
algorithm in-house but we also
have three mathematicians from
EPFL who work on improving the
existing algorithm and maybe
make them more efficient in
certain use cases specific to
autonomous mobility for public
transport or autonomous mobility
for on-demand services like car
sharing or ride sharing
companies.
So at the moment you areusing this just on roadvehicles?Yes, now it’s just on road vehicles,
not really on trains.
Do you think yourplatform has anapplication for trains?For trains, maybe not, I think there
is a lot of fleet management
solutions for trains. I’ve actually
talked to someone from SNCF
who are developing algorithm? for
train management. So, this is not
something that we actually pursue
actively but we have actually been
reached out to by a lot of train
companies because some of them
are studying public transport in
general.
planning company. So both of
them worked together to help the
EPFL in this application to host a
project. When the EPFL found out
that they were selected to host a
project they realised, ok we're
going to have six autonomous
shuttles (AS) for six months. How
are we going to operate them,
who can help us to make the best
out of this opportunity and then
they realised that there was no
one who knew how to make AS
transport services. So based on
this fact, the two co-founders
funded BestMile to initially
manage the project, the European
mobility project, within the EPFL
for the six months. In the
meantime, before actually
managing the project, they got
another European project to
manage. It was a project that
lasted a couple of months with
only three vehicles. It was a very
basic project at the time though
we didn't have any technology
because it was even before the big
European project that BestMile
was created for. The small
European project is called CATS
and the other one, the big one,
that they were created for is called
City Mobile 2. It was a huge
project where I think 12 cities in
Europe was to receive the AS and
had to make the best out of it. It
was also to see how people
reacted to autonomous mobility,
what they were willing to pay to
use AS instead of buses, what
were their criteria to choose
autonomous mobility instead of
regular mobility. So with these 2
projects BestMile managed to be
self-funded for the first two years.
It’s actually during the second
project that we had the first
version of our platform. And what
the platform does, so it’s a fleet
management platform for
autonomous vehicles. Basically
the transport operator mobility
provider puts in its constraints, for
example ‘from 9–10 I need 10
buses on line one’. And then the
platform received all the data from
the autonomous vehicle, i.e. its
speed, position, battery level, and
any relevant information so it can
be also information from a
temperature sensor inside the
vehicles. It takes all this
information and will despatch the
right vehicle at the right place at
the right time to answer to the
demand in the most efficient way
for the public transport operator
while offering the best level of
services for the customer.
Because, you see autonomous
vehicles by themselves they can
avoid obstacles and drive
themselves but at some point you
need to take that to the next level
and actually use it as a transport
system so you need them to
respect schedule and to adapt to
network changes. If one shuttle is
delayed because of something on
the road the other one needs to
adapt so that you keep the
frequency smooth and going.
Most of the AS we also have today
are electrical, so we need to
handle the battery management
because you don't want to be
sending an autonomous vehicle
that won't be able to fulfil its
mission because it will run out of
battery. Some people say battery
management, that’s easy – when
the shuttle is out of battery just
put it back on charge but you
don't just put it back, it has to
drive itself back to the charging
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said autonomous mobility has thepower to make public transportreally attractive compared toservices like Uber because withautonomous mobility you gain somuch flexibility. Regardingintercity transport, yes there is anapplication, we've never reallythought of it as a differentcategory.
It’s impressive that yourautonomous vehiclesdrive on regular roads.They obviously must takeother cars into account? They do. So far everyone has beensafe in the city! But the shuttledoesn't, they drive at about20kmph so it’s good forpedestrian streets. You wouldn'twant a car that drives really fast inthe middle of pedestrians but evenin the city centre most of the timeyou don't drive faster than30kmph so it really goesunnoticed. In the beginning thepeople were like 'oh what is thisyellow thing' but now they don'teven pay attention to the shuttleanymore.
OK, they've learnt how tobehave?Yes, oh some people just try tojump in front of it to see if it willstop!
Will it!?Well it does! So far it does!
Did that really happen!? Yeah well they try!
Because they are curiousabout the technology,they're 'interacting'? Yes! And since they see that theshuttle is not driving that fast theydon't feel threatened if it doesn'tso they just jump in front of it to
So door-to-door mobility?Yes, exactly, one application is thatif we are connected for exampleto the train information systemthen you can sync when theshuttle can pick up people fromthe train station and sync to thetrains. We are also working onsimulation tools. That could beapplied to trains because it is just amatter of simulating how manyvehicles you need to ensuredemand and so that could beapplied to train but this is notsomething we pursue activelyright now because we are still…
Little?Yeah! We’re 25 so it’s a big start upbut still not a big company.
25 employees? Yes, 25 employees. We are a prettybig team for a start up but still nota sufficient team to work ondifferent directions. But we'vebeen in touch with a lot of railwaycompanies because they areinterested. We've been in touchwith SBB, DB, but DB do so manythings so they're interested indifferent areas, but they areinterested!
Yeah I like the idea thatyou could programmeyour shuttles so that if youknow that your train isdelayed, then you candelay the shuttle or if youknow that the train is fullif you've got that data,then maybe you have 2shuttles.Yes exactly, what we want to do isto run global optimisation to reallyhave a connected network with allthe transport modes to have anefficient transportation system.There is so much optimisation thatcan be done even with the regular
transportation system today if wehad the right people with the rightinformation. So for us it’s reallyimportant we really want ourplatform to be connected so as tohave as much information feed aspossible. For now it’s the vehicles,the information from the transportoperator, we want to integratetraffic information so if there is atraffic jam we can dispatch thevehicle accordingly, to re-routethem in an efficient way, to pickup the people at the train stationat the right time so the shuttledoesn't wait for 10 minutes andthe people don't wait for 10minutes as well. Also, so we haveto be connected to the regulartransport services, the regulartram, the regular trains the regularbuses and yes this is somethingthat is really important to usbecause we don't want to be justoptimising such a tiny part of thetransport system we want to tryand be integrated in the existingnetwork and try to make the bestout of it and re-offer and optimisesolution and improve mobilityglobally.
So I suppose the biggestapplication for you isurban transport, becausewith growing populationsizes and cities and trafficjams everywhere, themore autonomous ordriverless or clever,intelligent, smarttransport you have,including keeping peopleon the rails and thereforeoff the roads, that’s a bigarea but do you do thingsmore ‘long haul’?I guess so but it’s true that fortoday we are really focusing onpublic transport because like you
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see if it will stop. But then you alsohave people who really don't payattention and just walk in front ofit without even noticing it’s there.Everyone is safe! But inSwitzerland you have a law thatsays that every village that is morethan a certain number ofinhabitants needs to have accessto public transport and so most ofthe time this is the main Swisspublic transport operator calledPostAuto, or PostBus in English.They are the one handling thistype of um, really in thecountryside as well so they arehandling public transport in thecity of Sion where they have thetest and they are also handling alot of countryside public transport.For them autonomous vehiclesare a really interesting solutioneven in remote areas because firstyou don't have huge buses thatare half empty most of the timeand for example we also work onon-demand services even forpublic transport. Withautonomous vehicle they have theflexibility to offer a vehicle whenthe people actually need itbecause you don't have to pay adriver to wait around. You can justdispatch the vehicle whenever it isactually needed so it’s moreefficient in terms of cost for thetransport operator and it’s moreefficient for the passengerbecause he has a shuttle when heneeds the shuttle.
I like this law because the citiesget attention for investment andtechnology and development andinfrastructure and people who liveoutside of cities because theydon't get access they almost feelmore pressure to also move to thecity. So if you want to keep peopleliving where they are living and beable to function the same way that CoFouders - RaphaelGINDRAT and AnneMELLANO
52
still in the introduction phase. Theshuttle runs every day from 1–7approximately but they don't havea pre-defined schedule, they justrun in a loop and that’s it.
OK so, but people can logon and...Yes, they can log on the app andknow the next departure. But it’sthe next departure depending onthe position of the shuttle now.There is not a fixed schedule thatshuttle needs to respect for now.
Well I don't think it’snecessary, if I as apassenger or wanting tobe a passenger knowwhere it is, I don't need toknow the schedule, I justneed to know how oftenroughly it comes, like howlong it takes to do theloop.Quite. Next maybe, they want tolink it to the train station. So that’sthe next step and then they arethinking about implementing the
you want to give them broadbandeverywhere or high-speedinternet, if you give them accessto transport then many of theproblems that they have go away.
Yes, you have less people movinginto the city. I think autonomousmobilty is the revolution that canmake public transport so muchmore attractive compared to theuse of your personal car and Uberand services like that.
The reason I wouldn't use apersonal car is if I could get aflexible time so I don't have to waitbut if I get a taxi it’s expensive so Iwant to have it as flexible as a taxibut as cheap as public transport.
Exactly. I think with autonomousmobility you can get pretty closeto that.
So your goals for themoment for BestMile aredeveloping thetechnology to work moreefficiently? So more efficient in a sense that
we want to improve ourtechnology to work at a biggerscale because it’s not the sameoptimising a feed of tens ofvehicles. When you are starting tooptimise fleets of hundreds andthousands of vehicles you needyour platform to be really robustand you need your algorithm torun really fast because that’sactually the thing with algorithms:there is actually pretty goodalgorithms to find really goodsolutions. The problem is that ittakes six hours for them to find asolution but you need real-timeoptimisation. If it’s six hours, if ittakes you six hours to find thesolution it’s already too late so it’smore making the algorithm fasterat a large scale so you canoptimise for ten thousand ofvehicles in the same time youwould do it for hundreds.
So this fleet here is smalland that’s why it worksquickly? This one is, it only 2 vehicles at themoment. This project waslaunched on 23 June so we are
53
it can do for me, what it can bringand this is where yes we areneeded to bring the next era ofintelligence, of optimisationintelligence, at the level of thefleets, so yes, it’s making the fleetsmore intelligent.
Who do you get thisfunding from? Is thisEuropean level?OK so for the first one it wasmostly European. We had aBusiness Angel and a couple of VCfirms. We had a firm from theUnited States and then anotherone from Europe but most of therest were business angels. It was2.5million seed round. Now weare thinking of closing the secondround maybe in Spring 2017 so it’sreally close but because we have alot of requests.
It’s a good problem tohave, too manycandidates? Our goal is really to remainindependent because we want todo global optimisation so we don'twant to be affiliated to a certainbrand for example. It makes nosense to have a platform thatworks with just one vehicle. Wereally want to stay global so weare really careful about who webring in, in order to remainindependent.
You want to do it properly. Yes, it’s really important.
Thank you so much fortalking to me. This wasreally interesting. Thank you.
on-demand services but you willonly be able to call a shuttle atpre-defined stops, you will not beable to order a shuttle from yourhome because there is only 2shuttle, if everyone calls theshuttle at their place then nobodywould have a shuttle. For this project there is no driveractually there is no steering wheelin the shuttle but there is in orderto, because Switzerland signed theVienna Convention and in theVienna Convention there issomething that says you need tohave a driver in the car, so this iswhy it is a little bit difficult legally,difficult. Things have to bechanged legally to authoriseautonomous vehicles on openroad in countries that signed theVienna Convention. To overcomethis, there is a groom in everyshuttle. The groom is there towelcome the passenger but healso has an emergency stop andhe can stop the shuttle if he feelsthat the situation is unsafe. Itnever really happens but he has tobe there otherwise we wouldn'thave got the authorisation to runthis project. It’s pretty impressivethat they managed to haveauthorisation and if the price topay to have a groom dressed inyellow and welcoming passengersis actually pretty good because alot of people are intrigued, theyhave a lot of questions so it worksout well.
Yes, it’s good for publicityin that sense and it makespeople trust it a little bitmore if he could press thestop button.Yes and know that they're safe.The way we work today is that wehave strategic partnership withshuttle manufacturers because a
platform without shuttle, it’s nice,but it’s not really useful! And ashuttle without a platform, whenyou want to actually use a shuttleto transport people in an efficientway, you need the platform, so wehave partnership with differentautonomous shuttlemanufacturers. So we have theone, Navia, who provided theshuttle for this project. They haveactually a couple of projectslaunched. They have one shuttlein Australia, they just launched aproject with two shuttles in Lyonin France. They are launching a lotof projects. Another company isAmerican but also has a German-based site and it’s actually theGerman team that developed theautonomous shuttle. Thecompany is called Local Motorsand they just launched theirautonomous shuttle called 'Olli’back in June so they are alsolaunching a good number ofprojects in October. You will seemore and more autonomousshuttle and it will go pretty quicklythat you will see autonomousmobility all over the place.
So the autonomousshuttles that thesecompanies have thatBestMile is partneringwith now are gettingsmarter?Exactly, yes, it’s already a prettyintelligent shuttle! They manageto drive and not drive overanything! It’s already pretty good,some human drivers can not dothat! So it’s pretty good but yes,it’s also because in the first projectpeople were already happy withan autonomous shuttle that coulddo a loop, but now people arestarting to say, OK I've seen anautonomous shuttle, I know that itworks and now I want to see what
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07–08 DecemberRolling Stock Fleet MaintenanceCost Reduction Congress 2016London, United KingdomThe Rolling Stock Maintenance Cost Reduction Congress 2016focuses on improving fleet reliability, availability, maintainabilityand safety at reduced cost through leveraging data analyticsand condition-based maintenance. Following on from thesuccess of last year’s show, and featuring speakers fromcountries including the UK, Japan, Italy, France, theNetherlands, Portugal, Sweden and Finland, the summit returnsfor the 5th time.More info: www.rolling-stock-maintenance.com
16–17 January 2017Future Rail IndiaNew Delhi, IndiaThe Future Rail India summit brings together technologyproviders, policy makers, and decision makers from the Ministryof Railways and private and public sector stakeholders, who willdiscuss, provide insight and identify technology and bestpractices for smooth operations. The summit will focus onvarious aspects of upgrading and modernising projects relatedto planning, financing, construction, technology, operationsand management.More info: www.futurerailindia.com
01 DecemberFuture of RailLondon, United KingdomReturning for its 15th year, Future of Rail offers a unique one-day
briefing on the major issues facing the industry. Hear Network
Rail's strategic priorities, keep up-to-date with major infrastructure
projects, find out how the UK Government’s strategies will affect
operators and suppliers and discover the latest innovations that
have potential to disrupt the rail market. More info:www.marketforce.eu.com/events/transport-logistics/future-of-rail
01–02 DecemberSmartRail Asia 2016Bangkok, ThailandSmartRail Asia returns to Bangkok, bringing together the
region’s leading rail and metro operators, decision makers and
infrastructure managers. Learn more about the latest projects,
technology and solutions alongside the 80+ rail and metro
operators in attendance. This year, SmartRail Asia is proud to be
supported by the State Rail of Thailand, and to be hosting the
event in their fantastic Makkasan Airport Rail Link Expo Hall.
More info: www.smartrailasia.com
December, January, February 2016
UpcomingRailway Events
55
Bandedanmark, Ministry of Transportation & Communications,
Rete Ferroviaria Italiana and more, this is the only event that
unlocks the practical and strategic learning to help you get to
the heart of how to reduce maintenance costs and improve
track availability.
More info: www.rail-track-maintenance.com
21–22 FebruaryLight Rail 2017Gold Coast, Australia The Australasian Railway Association and Informa are proud to
present the 4th annual Light Rail Conference and Exhibition at
the hub of light rail activity, the Gold Coast. The rapidly
growing conference and exhibition offers a unique opportunity
for professionals involved in manufacturing, the planning and
delivery of projects and operational executives, to hear cutting-
edge case studies and learn from successful projects in
Australasia and throughout the world.
More info: www.informa.com.au/conferences/transport-conference/infrastructure-conference/light-rail
24–25 JanuaryTransport TicketingLondon, United KingdomTransport Ticketing Global 2017 is the annual get together forthe entire public transport community involved in transportticketing, passenger information and smart cities. With over 70exhibitors showcasing cutting-edge technology in intelligenttravel, the exhibition hall is the one place where you can learnabout the solutions and technology available.More info: www.transport-ticketing.com
24–25 January3rd Global Track Maintenance &Asset Management Congress 2017Berlin, GermanyThe 3rd Global Track Maintenance and Asset ManagementCongress 2017 is the only global event dedicated to cutting-edge predictive track maintenance & driving operationalefficiencies. Featuring industry-leading experts from SNCF,Transport for London, SBB CFF FFS, Network Rail, CrossRail,
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Extend bearing maintenance intervals to 1,7 million km*
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® SKF is a registered trademark of the SKF Group. | © SKF Group
Imagine the savings if the service life of your axlebox bearing units matched that of your wheelset maintenance schedule. This can now happen. With improved contact geometry and patented SKF Xbite® heat treatment, the new generation axlebox bearing units from SKF are designed to go , million km between maintenance. This enables the alignment of bearing maintenance intervals with the longest wheelset maintenance intervals for reduced cost and more uptime.In addition, SKF calculations indicate a % increase in L bearing life compared to previous generations, helping to further improve operational reliability. For more information about this new bearing unit for - km/h EMU/DMU/passenger coach applications, visit railways.skf.com.
Shown, optional sensorized version for speed/temperature/vibration
with the SKF Passenger Bearing Unit , M km
* , M km is based on specific applications and operating conditions. It has been verified in a number of positive tests of individual features as well as with experience from the field. Please contact your SKF representative to discuss if and how this can be applied in your applications.
Minimizing the number ofoverhauls for a bogie during thelife of a train is key to reducing lifecycle cost. Extending the serviceinterval from four to six years canbring savings of about 3 000 EURper bogie per year.
Looking back more than a decadethe wheels were one of the mainlimiting factors to extend the timebetween maintenance intervals.Nowadays the use of computercontrolled under-floor lathes toremove flat spots and compensatefor wear means that a set ofwheels can last for more than 1.5million km before replacement isrequired.
Until now the bearings uponwhich those wheels rotate havenot been able to meet the longerwheel life. The service life of mostcomponents in the bearing, e.g.,rings, rollers and seals can evenwith conservative life calculationsoutlast a set of wheels by a factor
Innovations in design, lubrication and heattreatment have created the first railwaywheel set bearings that doesn’t requireoverhaul between wheel replacements.
Setting the wheels inmotion for reducingoverhauls
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quickly become exhausted, but ifit bleeds too slowly, it will notrelease sufficient oil to separatethe metal surfaces.“ To find agrease with the best possiblecombination of characteristics forthe wheel bearing application, SKFworked closely with leading railindustry lubricant suppliers.Having achieved a good startingpoint, the team then addressedthe other characteristics thataffect grease life. “Grease life isinfluenced by a large number offactors, including temperature,rotational speed, bearing size,cleanliness, mechanical churningand other things like the presenceof electric currents.” explainsBabka. In a railway wheel bearing,most of those characteristics aredetermined already by theapplication, but three where wecould have a lot of influence aresmoother surfaces, cooler runningand higher robustness”
SmootherEven if a rolling surface in abearing feels smooth when youtouch it – it is still not perfectlyflat. The surface roughness plays
of two, but only if there is enoughlubrication. This leads to thecritical point. Grease life of railwaywheel bearings has long been aweak link in extending bogiemaintenance intervals.
Grease is a vital component inrailway wheel bearings – itseparates the metal surfacesinside the bearing to prevent wearand protects those surfacesagainst corrosion. The propertiesof grease change over time,however the base oil componentwithin the grease – whichprovides lubrication andprotection – gradually bleeds outof the thickener that holds it inplace. Eventually, the grease isexhausted and must be replaced.Standard rail bearing units typicallyrequire overhaul and re-lubrication every million km, aprocess that requires the vehicleto be taken out of service and thebearings removed. As the wheellife is getting longer the bearingbecomes the limiting component.For operators, these periodicbearing overhauls are a costly andinconvenient maintenance
requirement that they would avoidif they could. In an ideal world,bearing overhaul intervals wouldmatch the life of the wheel set, sothat both jobs could be completedin a single operation.
That situation has become areality, thanks to an intensive R&Dproject by engineers at SKF. Thecompany’s latest railway wheelbearing has been designed tooperate for 1.7 million kmbetween overhauls, allowingbearing overhaul schedules tomatch replacement of even themost durable wheels. The SKFteam achieved this reduction inmaintenance requirements, byfocussing on the factors thataffect the life of the lubricantwithin the bearing.
That process began with thelubricant itself. “To maximise theperformance and service life ofgrease, you have to balance therate at which the base oil bleedsfrom the thickener,” explains JanBabka, Senior ApplicationEngineer in SKF’s rail division. “Ifthe grease bleeds too fast, it will
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The new SKF TBU is now inproduction in a range of commonsizes. The unit, which is suitablefor trains operating between 160and 250km/h, is already in servicewith one major European railoperator. So is this the last stop fortechnology development inrailway wheel bearings? Babkadoesn’t think so. “1.7 million km iswhat this industry is asking fortoday, but there is no doubt that itwill always be looking for ways toextend component life and reducemaintenance requirements. Inother rail applications, like tractionmotors, we already make use ofother methods to provide evenlonger grease life, for examplethrough the use of hybrid ceramicbearings. That technology it is tooexpensive today for large bearings,but it shows that in the long term,it should be quite possible tocreate a bearing that will run for 3million km between overhauls.”
an important role in how muchwear and friction is generated. It isimportant to limit wear since anylose metallic particles canaccelerate oxidisation of thegrease and shorten grease life. It isalso important to reduce frictiondue to surface roughness since itheats up the grease which in turnsreduces grease life. For this reasonSKF has refined the surfacefinishing process of our wheelbearings.
CoolerControlling the temperature of thegrease required SKF to draw uponits extensive experience of rollingbearing design. "Temperature isone of the most influencingfactors when it comes to greaselife" explains Babka. “And the maincause of a rise in temperature isfriction within the bearing.” Thechallenge for the SKF engineers,therefore, was to find a way ofreducing friction withoutnegatively affecting the strength or operating life of the bearing itself.
Their solution was subtle changesto bearing geometry to optimisethe length of the contact betweenroller and raceway. A long contactgives a high carrying capacity ofthe bearing but you have to payfor that by increased friction andshorter grease life. The key is tofind the right geometry for theright bearing and its operatingconditions. On a typical 130x240size TBU, SKF’s testing revealed a30 % reduction in rolling friction,resulting in a drop in temperatureof 10°C under normal operatingconditions.
Higher robustnessTo ensure that the bearing wouldnot fail even when approachingthe service life of the grease whenwear can become a problem SKFmake use of its patented Xbiteheat treatment technology for thebearing rings. Xbite delivers anextra tough "bainite" steel with thesame hardness as conventional"martensite" but with highertoughness and longer fatigue life.It also has a higher resistance towear and a slower crackpropagation.
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We hope you have enjoyed our latest Railway-News magazine. Besure to look out for our next issue.We are now producing a magazine on a quarterly basis so please do not hesitate to contact us at [email protected] if you would like to featureyour latest technology in an upcoming issue. Please also take a look atwww.railway-news.com for all the latest rail news, events and technology.
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