Setting new standards in electrical rail transportation Koncar

SETTING NEW STANDARDS IN ELECTRIC RAIL

TRANSPORTATION

Koncar Electric Vehicles is a regional market leader in the development and manufacture of eco-friendly, electric rail transport systems. Philip Yorke talked to Tomica Kolman the company’s sales director about its latest ‘low level entry’ electric multiple units, its advanced modular trams and its eco-friendly locomotives.

Koncar Electric Vehicles was founded in Zagreb in 1970 under the name Electric Locomotives as part of the Koncar Electrical Industries Group of Croatia. The company has specialised from the outset in designing and producing energy-efficient electric rail vehicles and equipment. Koncar Electric Vehicles is headquartered in Jankomir, an industrial area of Zagreb where its modern state-of-the-art factory is located. This extensive facility was designed specifically for the development and assembly of rail vehicles and is strategically located close to the city’s main road and rail networks.

The main products and services offered today include the development, design and manufacture of locomotives, trams, electric multiple units and light rail vehicles. In addition, the company provides fully warranted after-sales technical support, as well as a full rebuilding, refurbishing and repairing service for all its electric rail vehicles and equipment.

Koncar has always been committed to an on going programme of research and development and in the early 1980s it developed one of the world’s first ‘thyristorised’ electric drive locomotives, thus setting new standards in energy-efficient rail travel. Based upon this outstanding success, Koncar initiated the production of a new generation of tram cars in the 1990s, which in turn inspired the company’s current on going development of light weight rail vehicles. Today the Koncar Electrical Group employs more than 4000 people and in 2011 recorded sales of over €400 million.

A growing market for ‘green’, energy-efficient vehicles

Koncar is seeing a significant increase in demand for the latest versions of its TMK 2200 and TMK2100 model city trams. The TMK2200 is an ergonomically designed 100 per cent low-floor tram with an articulated body consisting of three to five passenger compartments. These tramcars offer air conditioning, ergonomic seating and panoramic windows, in addition to fine-tuned hydraulic suspension with rubber cushioned wheels for optimal ride comfort. The company’s main customers for these state-ofthe-art ‘green’ vehicles are in its domestic market with the prospect of selling to Turkey, Serbia, Bulgaria, Bosnia, Romania, Hungary, Macedonia – the list goes on.

This TMK2200 has been serving the people of Zagreb since 2005 and to date more than 140 low-floor trams have been delivered. The new TMK2100 tramcar is a three-part modular city vehicle designed for the transportation needs of a larger number of passengers and is a kind of predecessor to TMK 2200. A total of 16 DC driven trams were delivered to Zagreb’s main tramcar operator, ZET Zagreb, during the 1990.

Kolman said. “The Koncar Electronics group is composed of 20 integrated engineering companies, all of which are committed to delivering the most energyefficient and cost-effective, electric rail transport vehicles. Together we are able to offer an unrivalled range of products and services from transformers, specialised vehicle equipment and testing facilities to complete, ready-to-run locomotives, trains

Thermo King Athenia™ Modules Provide Increased Energy and Operational Efficiency

The recently launched Thermo King Athenia™ range of bus air conditioning modules helps transit agencies save energy, lower costs and increase sustainability. The new modules can be used in hybrid and diesel engine driven buses.

The Athenia™ modules feature cutting edge technology which consists of a welded design that keeps refrigerant hermetically contained and meets anticipated environmental regulations from the European Commission and other governing bodies which will require reduced CO2 emissions.

The modules combine the hermetic system with Thermo King exclusive power electronics which in independent benchmark tests demonstrate a 15 percent reduction in energy consumption.

The design and simplified installation of the Athenia™ modules contribute to improved performance, reliability and reduced maintenance requirements.

and tramcars. Our modern production plants produce all our rolling stock and our assembly lines are supplemented by the components produced by other divisions within the Koncar Group.

“Everything that is produced by Koncar is developed and designed in-house with the exception of standard parts such as the wheels, air-conditioners, windows etc, so therefore all the design and technical knowhow is our own property, which includes everything from the design and development of motors, bogies and power-trains, to the overall design and testing of the completed passenger vehicle.

“Like all other engineering companies we are focused on developing more energyefficient processes and power units and our goal is to optimise every stage of production and create the most environmentally friendly engines possible. All our manufacturing and management processes are certified to meet the highest EU regulations including ISO9001 2008 and in relation to environmental protection, ISO14001. This also applies to the new diesel/electric trains that we are producing for countries where the terrain and power grids are not able to offer 100 per cent electrical supply coverage. In July this year we will become full members of the EU and this will open new doors for us in terms of exports. Currently our main export region has been clearly focused on the former Yugoslavian and surrounding countries. However, in the near future we will be in a position to attract customers from both the EU and the former Soviet-block countries.”

Advanced electric multiple units

Koncar maintains its leadership position in its chosen markets thanks to an on going commitment to continuous product devel-

opment. Kolman added, “Only companies which are able to base production upon research, can survive in this very demanding market. The synergy of our human and production technology resources has resulted in the development of an entirely new product; the low-floor electric multiple unit (EMU), which has been developed to meet the most stringent European and international standards.” The company’s low-floor EMU is considered to be its ‘knowledge product’ and a sum of its intellectual property and advanced technology. This in turn has created new value in its electric-rail market sector and a platform for the company’s strong growth in the future.

The new EMU from Koncar boasts a number of innovative features including its own programming support system and comprehensive diagnostic monitoring devices, as well as smooth asynchronous drive systems with vector regulation. These units are capable of 160km/h with standing spaces for 250 and for 144 seated passengers, with vacuum toilets located in each compartment. These new high-tech vehicles are already in daily operation with the Bosnia and Herzegovina Federal railways and Croatian Railways. n