SUPPLY CHAIN HAS TO STEP UP TO SUPPORT RAIL EXPANSION

With the UK and many other nations accelerating their push to a zero carbon world railways are set to play a critical role in what will be a greener and cleaner future.

Passenger numbers on the UK’s rail network remain below pre-pandemic levels but this dip will be temporary. Trains are likely to be carrying both people and goods in increasingly higher volumes over the coming decades. Pre-pandemic, the UK accounted for 20% of all rail passenger journeys in Europe with demand having doubled since 1995. The network includes 23 train-operating companies (TOCs), 16,000km of track, 2,567 stations and its 20,000 services account for more than 60bn passenger kilometres every year. The Government will be investing hundreds of billions of pounds in growing, upgrading and decarbonising the network. It has agreed to phase-out diesel trains by 2040 with more investment into battery and hydrogen technology. However, all this investment into infrastructure and technology will create huge challenges in terms of logistics, engineering and innovation in new technology and processes for the UK’s £36bn rail sector and its extensive supply chain. The myriad of companies in the supply chain will need to be ready for those challenges that are coming down the line. Those businesses that are adaptable and ready to meet what is ahead by offering complete solutions are more likely to prosper.

Mass finishing & shot blasting

One such business that is already offering comprehensive solutions for railway transformation is Rösler UK, a subsidiary of Germany company Rösler. It is a family business that traces its roots back to 1933 and today specialises in mass finishing and shot blasting technology. Mass finishing or shot blasting is an industrial process which focuses on the surface finishing of plastic or metal parts. The aim can be aesthetic, to create a clean and polished exterior, but is also often critical to the safe and efficient working of machinery and components. Rösler is gearing up to increase its footprint in the rail sector, both in the UK and overseas. It has joined Britain’s Rail Forum, a national not-for-profit rail trade association. As the railways expand there will be an ever greater focus on efficiency, saving energy, reliability and safety. The infrastructure and components used across railway networks will have to be of the highest quality. One key aspect of improving rail performance is weight. Over the next few years rail vehicles will need to be lighter to improve energy efficiency. Solutions will be needed that can be incorporated into new units and retrofitted into existing trains. This, in turn, results in longer maintenance intervals and lower running costs. Colin Spellacy, Head of Sales from Rösler said: “Utilising Rösler mass finishing technology and processes manufacturers can design and manufacture rail components with lower surface friction, roughness and better surface properties enabling those performance improvements to become a reality. “For tactile surfaces such as handrails and numerous components that are frequently touched, mass finishing will also remove sharp edges, rust, oil and grease for safer handling of contact areas.” From rail tracks, to plates and profiles, cast and forged parts, and complete rail carriages, shot blasting of metal surfaces offers multiple options for enhancing surface properties across the railway sector. Options offered by Rösler’s include de -burring, de-scaling and rust removal to roughening, matting, smoothing, edge rounding and shot peening.

Specialised division

Additive manufacturing, more commonly known as 3D printing, has quickly moved in a few short years to becoming integral to a multitude of industrial processes. Daniel Tweer, Managing Director of Rösler explained: “We strongly believe that additive manufacturing will have a profound effect on practically every aspect of industrial manufacturing. “So we decided to create a brand-new division called AM Solutions, within which all the company’s activities in the field of additive manufacturing will be handled.” AM Solutions offers equipment, process technologies and consumables tailored for the automated 3D post processing, be it for single piece manufacturing or volume production. This could be unpacking, removal of powder and support structures, surface homogenization and smoothing, polishing or the application of a colour dye.

Colin Spellacy of Rösler says that by “taking advantage of our rich portfolio of professional and technical capabilities” it can support our customers from the conceptualisation phase of the "Idea" to the production process execution phases. For new trains and for refurbishment of trains, Rösler offers surface finishing solutions to help with lightweight development and energy efficiency. It can also provide waste water treatment to remove impurities such as paint sludge from water wash spray systems during carriage refurbishment or removal of resulting waste water being reused, offering substantial savings. Other applications include removal of any suspended solids from water, oil, cutting fluids etc. to lengthen the lifespan of industrial liquids.

Strong pedigree

Rösler has already established a strong record of delivery working with some of the biggest names in the railway sector going back a decade. In 2011, the company began working with the French state-owned railway company SNCF on a maintenance and repair contract for the wheel axles of its trains.

Rösler designed and employed a bespoke piece of shot blasting machinery exactly to the company’s specifications. It became a standard piece of kit for the rail operator to utilise across its train fleet. In 2013, Rösler was again employed by SNCF, this time to offer pressure blasting for cleaning and preparation for overall maintenance on its wheel axles. Once again Rösler’s solution was favoured because it offered precise specifications at a competitive price. Forward to 2015 and Rösler crosses the Channel again to undertake pressure blasting for the rail division of French industrial UNICAF – company of Bolloré Group. Similar to its work with SNCF, Rösler provided blasting for cleaning axles. And in 2020, Rösler was back working with UNICAF – company of Bolloré Group, specifically for its Sitarail division, which provides rail services in the African states of Ivory Coast, Burkina Faso and Cameroon. The contract saw the delivery of pressure cleaning of wheel axles prior to magnetic inspection

A complete solution

Many of the services provided by Rösler are available from other companies. Some may buy in machines in order to provide a complete solution. However, Rösler’s solution really is a complete one. It can design and manufacture surface finishing equipment and 3D additive manufacturing surface technology to precise and very high standards. Daniel Tweer added: “At Rösler we combine all processes, shot blasting, mass finishing and additive manufacturing and as a result of more than 80 years of experience of developing component finishing processes and solutions around the world, most importantly we understand them. “Our range of about 15,000 consumables, developed in test centres located all over the world, specifically serves our customers for resolving their individual finishing needs. This means whatever challenge you have with your components or materials we can help. “You can push the boundaries of what you currently have and together we will help you innovate and develop the best finish in your field.”

Telephone: +44(0)151 482 0444 Email: rosler-uk@rosler.com Visit: www.rosler.com

Call Nigel Bean for more information on +44 (0) 1442 826826 10 great reasons to exhibit at Surface World 2023

– Meet and connect with prospective customers – Strengthen your bond with existing customers – Learn about new developments in your industry – Meet new companies that can help your business – Close deals with new customers during the show – Strengthen or establish your brand – Learn what your competitors are doing right – Rapidly expand your database of sales leads – Speak directly to your target market – Optimise your sales and lead generation strategy