The railway market makes special demands on its suppliers. Standards that cover difficult environmental conditions or electromagnetic conformity need to be met. Products also have to last the lifetime of the train, with ongoing engineering support.
For years, Bosch Rexroth has been supplying a multitude of components and subsystems for use in rail technology. Branded ‘the drive and control company’, Bosch manufactures across a range of technologies, including electric, hydraulic and pneumatic, and therefore can put forward the best solution irrespective of the base technology.
This provides clients with a truly objective perspective to enable them to consider and select the best solution for their needs. Bosch Rexroth has a huge product programme across a wide application field including hydrostatic auxiliary drives, electric or hydraulic driven cooling systems for trains and locomotives, hydrostatic traction drives for special vehicles and ball screw drives for rail switches, to mention only a few.
Cross-industry solution
Bosch Rexroth also offers factory automation products to provide a versatile and very effective base to manufacture from small to very large products. For example, the Airbus A350 XWB wings, 33 metres in length, are manufactured using Bosch Rexroth platforms that provide variable height, ergonomical design for access points and integrated point of use for electrics, air and pneumatics close to the operation. These factory automation products could be used to improve the manufacturing process of locomotive and rolling stock.
There are many functions that can improve the performance of the locomotive and train, and Bosch Rexroth has long experience
and the product range, including the newly- introduced filtration product line, to provide expert advice and assistance in developing new ideas to improve design and overall performance.
For example, fan drives can include controls to improve efficiency by controlling fan speed in relation to the actual need of engines and exhaust systems. These fans can either be electrically or hydrostatically driven using roof modules, or even custom made. Once the technology is chosen, a cooling study can be systematically validated using an internally developed model combined with wind tunnel testing and structure![HydrostaticTransmission (2) [online]](http://www.therailengineer.com/wp-content/uploads/HydrostaticTransmission-2-online-300x195.jpg)
simulations.
Keeping it compact
A regular challenge is to produce a design which uses the minimum amount of space, either on, in or under the vehicle, weighs as little as possible, is as quiet as legislation stipulates and, of course, is reasonably priced.
In this connection, and with the aid of simulation of heat transmission and flow, the ‘Fluid Mechanics’ Centre of Competence is in a position to examine and optimise in advance the various designs ‘virtually’, taking into consideration the cost-benefit aspects. It is precisely this introduction of high performance computing technology and the enormous calculation resources available with Bosch Rexroth that forms the basis and advantages for evaluating the design at the earliest possible stage.
Linear actuation for wipers, door couplings, ventilation ducts and doors can be supplied in all technologies including hydraulic, pneumatic and electric to suit the best design requirement and efficient operation considerations.
Group benefits
Bosch Rexroth develops, produces and sells components and systems in more than 80 countries. As part of the Bosch Group, it has access to the vast range of tried and tested components, sensors, security equipment and instruments. For example, driving aids such as systems to improve night vision provide a broad field of view using infrared lighting, giving an extremely clear image irrespective of light conditions. This improves safety by giving excellent visibility of objects and persons in the dark or in shadows.
Bosch is also involved in braking systems and controls. Its brake slipper discs have low cost and good thermal properties thanks
to the lamellar phosphorus cast that is self lubricating, providing consistency of braking performance. Indeed, brakes were one of the first products Bosch Rexroth supplied into the rail market as early as 1853.
All of these ways to select the best products and systems, whether to improve safety, efficiency or performance, will be on the Bosch Rexroth stand at Railtex.
