WORKSHOPS, DEPOTS & LIFTING EQUIPMENT
The of innovation
Innovation is at the heart of the rail industry where it is changing the way that it approaches engineering challenges. Chris Moore of Garrandale explains.
T
he rail industry is no different to any other in the challenges that it faces of promoting
growth while reducing costs. But it also has to address a number of unique engineering challenges in a bid to keep rolling stock operating at peak efficiency.
When we first started working in this industry over 25 years ago we were involved in providing jigs, fixtures and handling equipment for the manufacture of trains. This has evolved considerably over time and we are now drawing on our experience to provide specialist equipment and handling systems to deal with the problems associated with maintenance and servicing of rolling stock.
Despite the fact that the maintenance regime for every train operating company is fairly standard, every depot has its own unique requirements. As a result the equipment we provide can vary from simple access platforms to sophisticated and bespoke transfer equipment for heavy pieces of plant. For example, we have designed small portable paint booths for a number of depots that allow them to carry out local repairs to trains without the need to move them. These booths can be moved alongside the train and sealed to it, providing a contained area with filtered extraction which meets the relevant health and safety standards.
The opportunities for innovation in the rail industry are vast but it is important to avoid a ‘one size fits all’ approach. Some depots, for example, only require simple lightweight access platforms for service personnel and cleaners, while others will require heavy duty pit covers to fill the gap between the rails while allowing heavy plant to cross.
One of the projects we worked on with Merseyrail required a special jacking system to safely support one axle and its wheels clear of the track whilst leaving the other one in contact. The solution which we delivered allowed the lifted axle to be driven so that specialist maintenance could be carried out on the traction motors.
66 | rail technology magazine Dec/Jan 13
Regular maintenance and refurbishment plays a key part in ensuring that train operators meet their performance and reliability targets and often a bespoke solution is the only option. As a result we have developed a number of special purpose systems which allow significant weights to be manipulated out from under, or into position on a vehicle. At the Northern Rail depot at Heaton for example we recently installed a special high-capacity lift under the service track, which can remove wheelsets, complete bogies or equipment rafts from under trains.
We have also supplied and installed the heavy lifting and transfer mechanisms needed to remove the old equipment rafts and refit the new ones for Hitachi when it carried out a major overhaul of Mark III coaches.
Another specific requirement for the rail industry is for handling equipment that can be set truly level while components are lowered, pushed or lifted into place and that prevents the components from being a hazard when they are released. To combat this situation, equipment which has adjustable balance features is employed, a principle which we applied to lifting frames for the Mitsubishi company HVAC modules which are fitted to the new SSL trains.
Our engineering experience has also been employed at Bombardier’s facilities for battery manufacturer Hoppecke, who required lifting equipment to move the battery packs for the new SSL fleet into position and provide support while they were slid into the cradle under the train.
The rail industry does come with its own unique challenges, but for every challenge there is a solution, proving that real innovation is changing the way that the industry operates.
FOR MORE INFORMATION
T: 0800 949 9040 E:
sales@garrandale.co.uk W:
www.garrandale.com
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