FEATURE RACKS, CABINETS & ENCLOSURES GEARED TO RAILWAY REQUIREMENTS
Railway applications require cases that are highly resilient. The Polyrack Tech-Group secured a development contract from Siemens, currently for 2500 constructed case systems with integrated train protection components – and mastered the tool making alone in well below the standard time. Maximilian Schober, VP Marketing at Polyrack Tech-Group tells the story
S
iemens was looking for a robust, functional and affordable case to
safely house and autonomously power the train protection system MiniLEU S11. The MiniLEU S11 is used for the new train protection system and deployed by the Swiss Federal Railway company SBB AG throughout Switzerland. The system transmits the signal aspects by means of radio frequency to the vehicle with great energy efficiency and intervenes if the train driver makes a mistake. The initial requirement was for the construction of a simple painted plastic cover on which external solar cells could be mounted. On the strength of their first joint projects,
which entailed modified 19" front panels and 19" subracks from the standard Polyrack product portfolio, Siemens contacted the company for its new project, too. In the end Polyrack was awarded the development contract to design a complete case in accordance with the requirements specification in the maximum dimensions of 300 x 300 x 300mm.
ROBUST AND WEATHER-RESISTANT Not only was the cover needed for the planned case, but also the construction of the base using glass fibre reinforced plastic - and threaded sleeves that were injected into the component. The transparent cover is also held by hinges that are already integrated into the die-cast component. These specific requirements constituted
the decisive factor in the selection of the material. As the case was to be positioned directly next to the track bed, it was important to ensure that it could not be damaged by e.g. loose gravel; also it had to be resistant to all types of weather conditions and be able to withstand hailstorms and being bombarded with ice. As a solution, the use of a transparent
material was recommended. This has correspondingly robust qualities, whereas Plexiglas (PMMA) would break with the first stone impact. The material also scores with its UV stabilisation, so it is much more suitable for use outdoors in any wind and weather. The design specifications incorporated the current railway standards with which the case had to comply. After completion, the case was then quality tested.
28 APRIL 2017 | ELECTRONICS
track. The choice fell on a matt finish that protects the equipment from strong UV radiation and facilitates long-term deployment. In the end, the packaging specialist produced the hood, partially painted and printed it and handled the pre-assembly. It mounted all of the internal parts that were needed for installation of the solar cells, including a suitable chassis plate. Installation of the solar cells themselves was performed by Siemens in Switzerland.
SOLAR CELL SOLUTION AND PAINT Siemens' task was to implement an autonomous train protection system for the track area. The system was to power itself using solar cells, storage batteries and emergency batteries, thus avoiding expensive cable installations. Here the installation of the solar cells on the case played a key role. In order to protect the cells from stones flying up due to passing trains, the original plan, which was to mount the solar cells externally on the cover, was rejected; instead it was decided to install the cells within the case. However, this meant that the case needed to be fitted with a window. While the cover had to be transparent, other areas of the case had to be non-transparent. The case was given a coloured finishing coat for easy recognition. To ensure even better protection against sunlight, the use of UV protective paint was advised. A matt finish was required to prevent the train driver from being dazzled along the railway
Figure 1:
In Switzerland, the Train Guard ¬Mini LEU S11 has been used
thousands of times in the field of train protection
Figure 2:
The Clearguard WWS111 from Polyrack and Siemens was deployed in Braunschweig for the purpose of counting train axles
FROM PROJECT TO PRODUCTION Despite the shortened development and construction time, the required parts were completed on time. There are around 2500 series-produced devices performing their train protection function on the tracks of the Swiss Railways. Siemens now lists the end product, which bears the name Train Guard - Mini LEU S11 (Line Equipment Unit), in its standard program. In future it will be used anywhere in the world where it meets the applicable requirements. The all-purpose case has now been proven for use by Siemens in Germany for further railway projects in Braunschweig. Here for example, an assembled version of the Swiss product, which has been adapted to meet the new requirements, is being used. It was painted yellow, supplemented with project-specific assembly components and goes under the name of Clearguard WWS111 as an axle counting system for decentralised electric points. A well aligned relationship between the customer and the manufacturer during the entire planning and construction phase was essential. Staff from the Mobility Sector of Siemens were closely involved with the project. "Polyrack impressed us with the case implementation for two railway projects. We have acquired a case that exactly meets our specifications, which was suitably adapted to service our needs and requirements. This was only possible thanks to the close collaboration that we had with the company", said a spokesman from Siemens.
Polyrack Tech-Group
www.polyrack.com T: +49 7082 79190
/ ELECTRONICS
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