The weight reduction revolution in rail has arrived. Lewis Melia - Technical Sales Manager, Rail

Transcription

1 The weight reduction revolution in rail has arrived Lewis Melia - Technical Sales Manager, Rail

2 For over 60 years TRB have been at the at the leading edge in providing innovative solutions using lightweight composite materials

3 In the London Underground District Line trains were the first production trains in the UK to be fitted lightweight composite doors In 2013 the Team Antarctic solar vehicle constructed from lightweight honeycomb composite panels

4 LONDON UNDERGROUND TICKET BARRIERS Gate paddles manufactured using lightweight honeycomb bonded to aluminium skins

5 LONDON TAXI DISABLED ACCESS RAMP & STEP

6 DRIVERLESS TAXI HEATHROW TERMINAL 5 Aluminium Honeycomb floor structure for Driverless Taxi

7 LONDON EYE FLOOR PANELS TRB supplied new aluminium honeycomb composite floor panels during the 10 year overhaul program

8 RNLI - COMPOSITE POD Composite pod designed and manufactured by TRB to reduce weight and improve the lifeboat performance

9 INDUSTRIAL SECTORS Turnover m

10 ALSTOM JUNIPER (EMU) FLOOR PANELS Aluminium Honeycomb Floor Panels 64 cars for Gatwick Express 120 cars for Scot Rail 120 cars for South West Trains Contract direct with Alstom Transport

11 ALSTOM WCML PENDOLINO PARTITIONS Carriage end and Intermediate partitions 559 cars in total Contract direct with Alstom

12 ALSTOM WCML PENDOLINO TMO, SHOP & SERVERY TMO, magazine rack and servery module all supplied complete with wiring, plumbing etc ready for installation

13 EAST COAST MAINLINE MK3/4 PARTITIONS First class partitions and header panels manufactured from lightweight aluminium honeycomb panels. Supplied 2011

14 VIRGIN VOYAGER CATERING MODULES 78 sets of catering modules Aluminium honeycomb construction Fitted with all attachment points Grey hpl laminate finish

15 CLASS 378 LONDON OVERGROUND NLR/ELR Plug Slide Detrainment Door Full Design, Validation and Supply Supplied with Portal frame all linkages, locks, mechanisms etc. 108 Detrainment Doors over 18 months

16 CLASS 377 TURBOSTAR - TOILET CUBICLE SECTIONS Universal Access Toilet (UAT) Door fitted to the Bombardier Class 172 Turbostars

17 LUL VICTORIA LINE UPGRADE (VLU) & SUB SURFACE LINE (SSL) Full Design, Validation and Supply Fully fitted with glass, hinges, locks, including portal frame and all electrics 94 M Doors (VLU) 658 R/S Doors (VLU) 378 M Doors (SSL)

18 PRM & STANDARD TOILET MODULES

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20 So why the need for weight reduction in rail vehicles? Trains were getting heavier due to increased passenger requirements such as: More comfort, more reliability, better travel experience Air conditioning Power sockets for mobile devices..and then there is the demands from DoT and Network Rail due to energy usage and wear and tear on the network, lowering dwell times, increasing access charges by the TOCs lighter vehicles Tilting mechanisms for faster journeys Changes to the regulations - PRM TSI Improved crash structures and crumple zones accomodate some from the first list without exceeding tare axle weight

21 Current successes in mass reduction in rail vehicles. Alstom X Trapolis, a new generation commuter train for the UK is 28% lighter than the average UK fleet and again uses 50% less energy by the use of lightweight composites, intelligent use of energy and regenerative braking systems

22 So what are the main areas for mass of a typical Rail Vehicle? 20% Body Shell - commonly aluminium 35% Bogies and wheelsets - steel 5% HVAC - mainly steel 5% Internal and External Doors - aluminium 15% Passenger Interior (typical commuter train) - variety of materials including composites

23 So what areas of rail vehicles are already commonly using lightweight composite materials? floors Exterior and Interior Doors Draft Screens and Interior Partitions window pans Stand Backs Toilet Modules Galleys Threshold Strips Bicycle Racks Cupboards

24 Alternative lightweight composites materials to meet the demands of the rail industry over the coming years Carbon/phenolic pre-pregs Fire retardant foam cores Modified Epoxy glass pre-preg Phenolic SMC (sheet moulding compounds) Latest thermoplastic materials which have been developed with good FST properties Bio-resins and natural fibre reinforcements which are still in the early days but early tests suggest they will be able to meet the FST requirements for rail applications

25 Floors Conventional Materials; Plywood Lightweight Materials: Aluminium honeycomb Advantages: Increased loading per sq/m for given support spacing Longer life especially in wet areas Lower refurbishment costs when replacing floor covering compared to timber alternatives

26 Toilet Module / Cabin Conventional materials - GRP wet lay up Lightweight materials - Aluminium honeycomb panels Advantages: Weight saving in the region of 100kgs - 300Kgs Option for multiple finishes including paint, hpl, Novagraph/decals Adaptable without large tooling costs for new design/configuration or changes Recyclable at end of life

27 Draft Screens, Saloon Partitions, Cupboards etc Conventional Materials: Plywood, metal fabrications Lightweight Materials: Aluminium Honeycomb Advantages: Reduced thickness thereby increasing the available passenger space Lightweight therefore making easier installation Recyclable at end of life Less susceptible to changing moisture conditions

28 Internal and External Doors Conventional Materials: Aluminium castings, metal fabrication, Plywood (timber) Lightweight Materials: Aluminium honeycomb bonded structures Advantages: Lighterweight resulting in less demands on the operating mechanism Recyclable at end of life Lower inertia during operation

29 So what are the benefits to having lighter trains or lightening the load? Lower access charges due to reduced rail wear and infrastructure damage Improved corrosion resistance Improved ride and passenger comfort, putting the mass in the most appropriate position Reduced energy requirements Lower running costs Faster journey times for the passenger

30 What are the challenges for the rail industry and supply base? Knowing the actual financial savings of reducing weight Achieving weight savings within the existing cost base - cost neutral Combining functionality to achieve cost effective solutions Producing Innovative designs that meet the aspirations of all the stakeholders, train owners, OEM S, refurbishment companies, train operators, green lobby and passengers Lack of availability for effective testing and operational feedback due to a lack of easily accessible off-network real life test facilities

31 And just some of the complexities of the testing, regulations and compliance... Rail Standard EN Hazard Levels HL1, HL2, HL3 dependent upon vehicle and journey 4 types of vehicle N (standard), A (automatic with no emergency trained staff), D (double decked), DS/S (sleepers or couchette) 4 operating categories dependent upon the type of journey ie no section/tunnel or elevated section longer than the length of the train with the tunnels etc making up no more than 10% of total journey time right through to London Underground. Test criteria Flame spread Ignitability Rate of heat release Smoke Toxicity

32 Case Study

33 what I have surmised from my six months so far. No single stakeholder TOCs franchises too short to show ROI ROSCOs build/supply to specification Network Rail to busy with the now DfT worried about taxpayer backlash pockets of projects working in isolation most projects fall into the valley of death confusion over funding FEAR of change FEAR of competitive overlap/ip Not enough joined up thinking at times

34 Any questions, please ask