Vossloh
ProductsVossloh offers a unique product range for rail infrastructure, all under one roof: rail fastening systems, concrete sleepers, switch systems and crossings as well as services related to the value maintenance of the rails. Vossloh thereby makes an important contribution to the mobility of people and the transport of commodities.
Vossloh products are in use in more than 85 countries. Based on knowledge developed over decades, Vossloh understands the connections and customer requirements, and has a wide and profound understanding of the global rail infrastructure markets. The Group is present in important key markets, and active locally, including with production locations.
- HSG-city Grinding Machine
- Fastening System
- Turnout Systems / Vessel
- Ultrasonic Rail Tester
- Flexis System
Flexible. Fast. Smart. Grinding short track sections within the timetable.
The rails of public transportation and short-haul routes also sustain damage in the form of wear, corrugations, slip waves and head checks caused by traffic loads, heavy acceleration and heavy braking. Our solution for light rail systems: smart, prognostic maintenance with the HSG-city.
If rails are not machined, the corrugations that form will increase noise emissions for residents in the area. Furthermore, the strain on the rail material from the rolling stock will also make it necessary to perform premature and expensive rail replacements.
High Speed Grinding (HSG) removes minor and median rail damage, reliably prevents new defects from forming and effectively reduces noise emissions produced by rail traffic by up to 10 decibels. HSG-city is currently the fastest light rail and short-haul grinding machine on the market. With its variable operating speeds currently between 8 and 60 km/h, it can be scheduled to fit in with any timetable and without any track closures or preparation work whatsoever.
Its compact shape allows it to fit inside any structure gauge. It can operate traveling either forwards or backwards, which allows it to be either pulled or pushed by many different types of traction vehicle, e.g. road-rail vehicle. What’s more, it can be very easily controlled from the traction vehicle via remote control.
Rail Fastening Systems
Vossloh is a leading global company for rail fasteners. The product range includes fastenings for ballasted tracks and slab tracks for all load profiles from heavy-haul to high-speed as well as urban transport.
Every Vossloh rail fastening system is developed and tested with Vossloh’s own cutting-edge research and development labs.
Every new development goes with a clearly defined innovation process. Each individual phase – from the idea to design, simulation, prototype, testing and approval up to the final batch production – follows a set management concept in order to guarantee maintenance of the highest efficiency and quality standards.
Whether it is through FEM calculation (finite element method), computer simulations or fatigue testing – in Vossloh labs new talent works alongside experienced engineers. Many of the current employees were already familiar with Vossloh during their studies, because Vossloh cooperates with colleges and universities all over the world.
For the growing international switch market, Vossloh offers special rail fasteners for ballasted tracks and slab tracks.
The systems can be easily adapted to different requirements, e.g. through inclined pads – a cost effective and simple solution, which enables rails to be inclined at switches and crossings with uninclined concrete sleepers.
The heavy-haul rail fastening system W 30 T has been in use in Russia since the end of 2014 on a Vossloh switching system. Designed for the Russian track width of 1520 mm, the switch was manufactured for an axle load of 27 tons and an annual total line load of 70 megatons. Its equivalent as a tried and tested high-speed solution for switches on slab track is the 300W, which has a modular construction and can, for example, be easily adapted to rail inclines. Examples of this can be found in China and the Eurotunnel.
Turnout systems
What started as a very simple idea, to connect or separate two tracks at a switch with an actuator, has become a highly complex ‘turnout system’ – not just as a result of diverse requirements such as track type, track geometry or track width.
Construction and switch manufacturing must be adapted to the particular requirements of the rail network, for example in terms of safety and passenger comfort. This requires continued research into highly specialized technology, and testing of suitable materials. Ideally, the solutions should cover the entire ‘turnout system’. This means that the development work must include all related products.
Vossloh fulfills these requirements thanks to the continued development of innovative technology and the extensive cooperation of tried and tested drive, closure and monitoring products as well as reliable signaling systems with remote monitoring technology for preventative care.
As an in demand switch specialist for all railway lines, Vossloh has a leading position in all core markets worldwide. With our own local production sites, we don’t just manufacture in accordance with railway regulations including EN, AREMA, UIC, 1520 etc., but also, and above all we also manufacture in accordance with uniform quality standards, and integrate strong local partners into our process chains. This leads to an extensive, long-standing know-how about markets and their specific requirements. Vossloh products are in use in over 85 countries and all climate zones – from dry to very wet, from extremely cold (-50°C) to very hot (+70°C) regions.
Alongside the development of new turnout systems with intelligent control systems, we also help customers to modernize existing switch systems, thereby improving operation and achieving lower maintenance costs for the operator.
Ultrasonic Rail Tester
SoniQ Rail Explorer:
Exact detection and location of rail defects
Developed in collaboration with Fraunhofer IKTS in Dresden, the ultrasonic rail tester SoniQ Rail Explorer detects internal irregularities resulting from track operations as well as rail base corrosion and volumetric defects.
The data is displayed using B-scans and camera images, and transmitted directly to the office. The findings can be incorporated into digitalized process chains.
Benefits
- Detects subsurface irregularities, volumetric defects in the rail head, web and base as per DIN EN 16729-1 as well as rail base corrosion
- Easy to use
- Ultrasonic system with 10 pulser channels
- Multiple ultrasonic views including synchronized A-scans and B-scans
- Rugged tablet PC
- Camera (optional)
- Tracking system to provide location information
- Higher standard of information thanks to Augmented Reality and Artificial Intelligence (optional)
Applications
- For rail network operators, rail infrastructure and maintenance service providers
- For pinpointing defects, regular inspections on short track sections, switches, level crossings and railways stations
- No interference with switching equipment
- Can be used during short track possessions
- Can be used by EN 1 inspectors or higher
- Software supports different rail profiles
- Based on all the applicable standards and technical regulations of the railway industry
Flexis System: the all-round, hassle-free package for switches and crossings
The Flexis System provides the best possible switch and crossing maintenance, improving reliability and helping to avoid the replacement of individual components. The Flexis machines can handle every aspect of the entire maintenance cycle – from the initial removal of mill-scale and preventive grinding to cyclic and corrective machining.
Here an analysis of the switch’s condition is done beforehand to determine the amount of material that is to be removed.
Benefits
- Precise surface machining
- Flexible handling
- Additional measuring technology: material removal, longitudinal profile, cross profile and eddy-current
- Welding repair of individual defects
- Grinding out of point-blade break-outs
- Short possession times – suitable for use during normal operations
- Minimal preparation required
Applications
- Mainline switches and crossings
- Light rail switches and crossings
- Vignoles and grooved rails
- Compatible with track gauges of 891 mm to 1,676 mm
- Material removal from preventive to corrective