The AXTONE Group offers crash buffers, for freight cars as well as passenger railway vehicles and locomotives.
In accordance with RID and UIC (sheet 573) regulations, tank cars used to transport of specific dangerous goods must be equipped with buffers capable (in case of a collision) of absorbing much higher amounts of energy than conventional buffers. The minimum level of absorbed energy is diversified, for newly constructed wagons it is 400kJ while for those wagons currently in use this level is min. 250 kJ. Additional crash buffers are responsible for absorbing the energy of a collision, and as a result of a collision suffer irreversible deformation.
The European standard EN 15227 in effect since January 1st 2008 defines the collision safety requirements for railway wagon bodies. The standard applies for locomotives, passenger trains, underground train wagons and tramways. The AXTONE Group’s crash buffers based on various energy absorption technologies.
Peeling technology, based on the plastic deformation of a metal stream cut from the outside surface of the buffer body. The main advantages of this solution include a low level of forces during collisions, stable operation and a possibility of precise determination of the crash module’s release time. In addition, by increasing the cross-section cut out, it is possible to raise the amount of energy absorbed depending on the customer’s needs. The weight of such a buffer is comparable to the weight of a typical category C buffer.
Folding technology – energy absorption is controlled by plastic deformation of the buffer plunger with specially shaped sleeve walls. The level of the absorbed energy depends on the deformation forces. By changing the shape of the sleeve a broad range of controlled parameters is obtained that can be modified in the Crash buffers in accordance with the individual requirements of the customers.
Products manufactured in peeling technology can be used when free space is available behind the wagon headstock. Buffers with folding technology do not require free space behind the wagon headstock.
The offer includes standard crash buffers as well as those dedicated to individual projects. The range in this segment is constantly evolving.
In passenger coaches coil springs are used as primary suspension and in most applications also as secondary suspension. Due to space and load requirements regarding the primary springs, linear spring sets are usually used. Linear coil spring means a cylindrical coil spring with constant diameter and constant wire diameter. The spring ends are either “closed and ground” or “taper rolled, closed and ground”.
The coil springs used in the secondary suspension of passenger coaches are either single linear coil springs or linear spring sets. As the lateral deflections are quite high, the springs must have a bigger length than primary springs. The direction of the lateral displacement under vertical load (“chasse”) is marked on the springs and they have to be mounted into the vehicle according to the correct orientation of this marking.
As the strain (load amplitudes and their frequency) of the springs is also depending on the speed of the train, which for passenger trains is usually higher than for freight trains, the springs for passenger coaches require a high material grade and production quality.