ROLLING STOCK AND TRACTION
Lightweight, impact-resistant protection
Beakbane Ltd has developed a range of products for the rail industry to safeguard vital equipment and enhance safety. These include bespoke composite guards and a range of bellows and flexible connectors, explains sales manager John Brooks.
W
ith its in-house design and manufacturing capabilities, Beakbane
can produce custom-made composite panels for any application where light weight needs to be combined with durability and impact resistance.
It can also draw on its sheet metal fabrication and assembly abilities to produce complete integrated products. Fabricated metal items such as reinforcement frames, inspection plates and mounting brackets, as well as bought-in items such as threaded inserts for attachment points, can be pre-fabricated and moulded into the composite fabrication.
This means Beakbane can provide a complete service from concept to complete protective panel from one point of contact.
Beakbane’s composite guards are moulded in a high-strength thermosetting material that offers significant performance improvements over fabricated metal or GRP glass fibre alternatives.
The material offers a very high impact resistance to protect equipment and personnel from
Below: Beakaprene air intake bellow found on high speed-trains
flying ballast and other debris and complies with NF F 07-101. At the same time, it is much lighter than a fabricated metal alternative, so protection can be provided where it is needed on traction units and rolling stock without incurring a significant weight penalty.
The material is fire-resistant to European standards including BS476 Pt 7 Class 1, BS6853, NFF 16 101 and DIN 5510 2. Additional testing is planned to confirm compliance with other relevant standards.
The underlying strength of the composite material, and the ability to further strengthen it with honeycomb and fabricated steel inserts, make Beakbane’s protective panels ideal for structural and load-bearing applications.
This opens up the possibility of re-engineering existing designs to make them stronger, reduce the number of components and reduce weight.
The manufacturing route also gives a degree of freedom in design, as three-dimensional forms can be more easily produced by moulding than by fabrication.
Tooling for the composite mouldings is
relatively inexpensive and is designed in-house by Beakbane. This means that the panels are also an attractive option for low-volume retrofit and maintenance applications.
Recent projects include the replacement of a five-piece metal fabricated engine guard with a one-piece composite guard. The metal guards required five people to lift them and had to be replaced after they were removed because of distortion and metal fatigue. The composite guard is light enough to
be lifted by one person and can be fitted in minutes.
As well as dramatically reducing the time and labour required for engine maintenance, the light weight also gives improved fuel efficiency.
52 | rail technology magazine Apr/May 13
Below: Composite guard used to protect the underside of high-speed trains
Typical rolling stock applications include bogie-mounted protective guards for diesel engines, oil filters, signalling sensors, fuel tanks and other ancillary equipment. Composite components are also ideally suited for lightweight inspection panels, streamlining side skirts and bogie-mounted panels. Beakbane welcomes enquiries on these and other potential applications from rolling stock and infrastructure manufacturers as well as train operators and maintenance companies.
Beakbane complements its composite panels with a range of bespoke bellows and flexible connectors and compensators. It has been supplying these products for rolling stock applications for nearly 60 years. Customers include leading original equipment manufacturers and their tier one suppliers as well as train operating companies and maintenance organisations.
Examples of applications for Beakbane products include bellows for brake actuators and pantograph arms, HVAC connectors, air intake bellows on high-speed trains and connecting bellows for traction motors.
The company can draw on a wide range of materials, manufacturing technologies and product types to provide the right component for a specific application. As well as the ability to mould components in a range of polymers and rubbers, it can also fabricate products from cut, sewn and welded fabrics.
These can also be fitted with metal parts, such as fixing plates that are also manufactured in- house.
As with the composite panels, Beakbane can provide a complete bespoke service from design onwards. Whether the requirement is for a one-off or a regular supply of series parts, Beakbane’s flexibility allows it to offer a cost- effective and rapidly executed solution.
FOR MORE INFORMATION
T: 01562 820561 E:
info@beakbane.co.uk W:
www.beakbane.co.uk
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