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Tag: Mechanical vehicle & systems engineering

Mechanical vehicle & systems engineering – Our solutions

Turnkey engineering for a freight wagon with sliding wall for high-speed operation

Customer: CRRC Jinan, China

Project tasks

  • Conception and development of the bogies, the car body structure and the sliding wall mechanism
  • Calculations of the running dynamics and the aerodynamics
  • Structural strength analyses
  • Preparation of component specifications, production drawings, assembly instructions and manuals
  • RAMS / LCC

Our Approach

PROSE performed the entire development process at several locations. PROSE can perform all services, e.g. engineering, design, analyses and calculations, project management etc., at several locations, which cooperate closely, but, of course, the internal communications between the various locations is also always ensured.
The manufacture and the approval tests were performed by the customer, but PROSE provided active support.

Customer benefit

Thanks to PROSE’s extensive experience with the various vehicle components at its various locations, PROSE can offer comprehensive turnkey engineering services. Our customer profits from PROSE’s know how due to the close cooperation and the mutual visits.

 

Adaption of German maglev train technology for operation in China

Customer: Shanghai Maglev Transportation Development Co. Ltd (SMTDC), China

Project tasks

  • Modification of the German maglev train TR08 in line with the requirements of a commercial operation in Shanghai
  • Support of reassembly of vehicles in Shanghai, commissioning and the start of operation
  • Realization of a maintenance optimization program with quality control processes
  • Performance of employees training in vehicle mechanics and on-site vehicle assembly

Our approach

PROSE engineers, at that time as members of ThyssenKrupp Transrapid, supported the successful reassembly, commissioning and start of operation of the German maglev train TR08 for Shanghai Maglev Transportation Development Co. Ltd. Thereafter the vehicles were modified in line with the requirements of a commercial operation in Shanghai. A suitable, adjusted maintenance optimization program with quality control processes was developed and established. Training for maintenance personnel was carried out. Until 2019 PROSE audited the world’s fastest train operation and its maintenance on a yearly basis.

Customer benefit

Successful operation of the maglev train in China was ensured because of PROSE’s yearly on-site inspections since 2011.

 

Development of a gauge-changing facility for operator MOB

Customer: Chemin de fer Montreux Oberland bernois MOB, Switzerland

Project tasks

  • Feasibility analysis
  • Mechanical and control engineering development
  • Detailed Manufacturing Design
  • Strength analysis
  • Support Approval

Our Approach

In cooperation with MOB, PROSE has developed the gauge-changing facility in several phases from a simple prototype to a complex series production system.

Customer benefit

From an early stage of the development of the gauge change system, PROSE supported MOB in approval issues. The complexity of the numerous interfaces between the gauge-changing facility and the vehicles, the infrastructure as well as the train protection systems of MOB and BLS were taken into account by PROSE through a close cooperation with the involved partners. From the conceptual design to the successful commissioning, MOB could be supported solutionoriented and target-oriented from one source.

Support for the approval of an automatic coupler

Customer: SBB Cargo, Switzerland

Project tasks

  • Analysis and description of the modifications
  • Formulation of the proposed modifications
  • Classification of the modifications and associated risks in accordance with RTE 49100
  • Preparation of an approval concept
  • Preparation of the documents to be presented to the FOT
  • Integration of FOT’s comments into the approval concept

Our Approach

PROSE managed the homologation process and supported the coordination between SBB Cargo and the Federal Office of Transport (FOT) to achieve the approval for the automatic coupler for commercial operation.

Customer benefit

The customer gains an overview of the valid regulations to be considered for the approval process with the FOT. Consequently, the authorities received a fast processing time and later the customer a lean, efficient verification and issue of the operating approval. PROSE has made a valuable, risk-minimising contribution to the “automatic couplers” project which is essential for the success of the strategic automation programme.

Multi-body simulation for providing evidence for safety against derailment for a metre gauge vehicle

Customer: PVF Trade, s.r.o., Czech Republic

End customer: Montreux-Berner Oberland-Bahn (MOB), Switzerland

Project tasks

  • Composition of the modelling parameters
  • Creation of the MBS model for each wagon type
  • Implementation of the boundary conditions in the simulation environment
  • Carrying out and evaluating the simulations
  • Evaluation of the results
  • Documentation in a verification report

Our Approach

The computational verification of safety against derailment in twisted track curves was carried out in accordance with the BAV guideline based on EN14363:2016 using method 1 with test conditions adapted for metre gauge.

Customer benefit

Due to the broad experience of the experts at PROSE with the MBS modelling and simulation of rail vehicles and the performance of computational verifications, the derailment safety verification for the metre gauge vehicles could be carried out efficiently and in target-oriented manner.

Verification of clearance between infrastructure gauge and infrastructure

Customer: Stadtwerke München GmbH (SWM), Germany

Project tasks

  • Support of the SWM project management in the technical evaluation of the results of the infrastructure survey
  • Interpretation of the results with regard to the requirements resulting from §18 of the BOStrab (German regulation on the construction and operation of tramways)
  • Recommendation of the measures to be taken
  • Preparation of the final report of the initial survey for the individual metro lines for submission to the technical supervisory authority

Our Approach

​With laser surveying, the existing installations are recorded with a precision that was previously impossible. PROSE supports the SWM project management in the technical evaluation of the results of the infrastructure survey. This includes the interpretation about the requirements resulting from §18 of the BOStrab as well as the measures to be taken. In addition, PROSE prepares the final report of the initial survey for the individual metro lines for submission to the technical supervisory authority.

Customer benefit

PROSE has experts with many years of expertise regarding the interaction of infrastructure and vehicle and especially regarding the clearance of the light area. This enables PROSE to advise clients on the interpretation of the applicable guidelines in case of ambiguous facts. PROSE was able to prove to SWM that several objects, which were initially classified as violating the clearance, do not pose a threat regarding the clearance. Thus, the customer could avoid a cost-intensive dismantling of these objects.

Support for the purchase of low-floor trams

Customer: Basel public transport authority (BVB), Switzerland

Project tasks

  • Capture customer wishes concerning vehicle technology
  • Support documentation of the resulting technical requirements
  • Consider the current state of technology
  • Take account of current technical rules and standards
  • Revise the draft specification
  • Conduct a technical evaluation of the submitted bids

Our Approach

PROSE employs experts with many years’ experience in rail passenger transport. This allowed PROSE to put the tender call in a correct and due form and to state the customer’s requirements so as to facilitate their practical implementation. PROSE also brought in current technical rules and standards and took current laws and regulations into account.

Customer benefit

The customer gained value because the PROSE experts, reduced the commitment of customer resources in the tender call’s development and because PROSE introduced knowledge of current technology and of corresponding systems and components in developing the concept for the tram. PROSE took into account the experience of other public transport agencies in recent rolling stock procurement projects and contributed to a neutral and impartial bid evaluation.

 

Development of a standardised EMU requirements specification for EN15380-5 transverse elements

Customer: Swiss Railway undertaking, Switzerland

Project tasks

  • Summarise the current situation and clarify needs in one document
  • Concept development incl. review
  • Implementation in specification reviews (statement and walk-through / inspection)
  • Training and presentation of results

Our Approach

For the respective cross-sectional topics according to EN 15380-5, PROSE created one-pagers for the mutual understanding of the topics, which were reviewed together with the client’s technical experts.

Customer benefit

By creating the standard specifications, which define and describe the requirements regarding the cross-section elements, the customer has final procurement documents at train level. The customer was able to benefit from the comprehensive know-how of PROSE’s experts, who were able to comprehensively narrow down the complex topic of cross-section elements.

Car body (bodyshell) development

Customer: Vossloh Kiepe GmbH, Düsseldorf, Germany

End customer: Public transport company of Wuppertal, Germany

Project tasks

  • Development of the mechanical vehicle modules, i.e. car body and bogie
  • Project management
  • Definition and supervision of component tests
  • Homologation support

Our Approach

PROSE was responsible for the complete engineering of the main mechanical modules of the vehicle, which were the car body and the bogie.

Customer benefit

Given that PROSE was in charge of the vehicle development, customer VKD, who previously had been a component supplier, was able to expand its portfolio to the delivery of complete vehicles to the end customer. The know how of PROSE’s engineers in the field of turnkey engineering of complete vehicles, which is based on many years of experience with light-weight construction, was a basic condition for the successful results.

Gauging analysis

Project tasks

  • Gauging analysis of railway vehicles according to EN 15273
  • Gauging analysis of vehicles according to BOStrab
  • Calculation with special simulation programs cMotion or DIMA
  • Simulation of complex articulated vehicles, e.g. light rail vehicles
  • Consideration of national requirements (e.g. EBO resp. BOStrab in Germany or AB-EBV in Switzerland, etc.)
  • Consideration of requirements from network accesses (e.g. SBB I-20030 in Switzerland)
  • Gauging analysis of narrow-gauge vehicles according to AB-EBV
  • Analysis of special vehicles (e.g. suspended railways)

Our Approach

At first a verification concept is developed based on the customer’s specifications as well as requirements from infrastructure and standards. This can include the following, depending on the specific task:

  • Simple delta analysis (e.g. design adaptions or interoperability concerns)
  • Regular construction gauge calculation with static or kinematic methods
  • Calculation of gauging demand by means of accumulation of critical positions of the bogies in the track gauge, design tolerances, plays, etc. with distinction of random and non-random contributions
  • Simulations by means of the tool cMotion to model arbitrary vehicle configurations and track routing
  • Application of dynamic methods supported by simulations (e.g. swinging characteristics for suspended railways)
  • Development assisting analysis with continuous assessment and consulting
  • Validation via simulation or measurement (e.g. multi-body simulation or field test runs with attached blocks)
  • Compilation of input data, procedure and results to a report, ready to be submitted to Technical Authorities

Customer benefit

Due to the wide range of available methods and the long-standing expertise of the PROSE-experts arbitrary vehicles and requirements can be investigated. Potential problems will be anticipated and prevented. Manifested problems can be furthermore solved by experts of other disciplines. Additionally, a special focus on efficiency lies in our DNA as a service provider. Combined with a tailor-made concept for the customer and project this overall ensures that technical risks in development, homologation and operation as well as commercial overall efforts will be minimized.

Ad interim locomotive fleet manager

Customer: SBB Cargo, Switzerland

Project tasks

  • ​ECM Migration
  • ANSF Approval Re484
  • Re484 Analysis power converter, compressor, emergency stop
  • Planning R2 Re484
  • Planning R2 Re474
  • Midlife measures Re482
  • Technical Mentoring Obsolescence Manager: Competence Matrix ECM2
  • Leadership Coaching ECM2 Manager: White paper and concept for Life Extension Re620

Our Approach

In addition to ensuring operational safety within the framework of the ECM2 function compared to the upstream and downstream ECM functions, PROSE took care of the sustainable improvement of the availability of the new fleet. The integration of PROSE experts in technical questions considerably increased the expertise available on site.​

Customer benefit

With this ad interim solution, the customer SBB Cargo received a flexibly deployable expertise with broad technical support from PROSE, who quickly and filled this specific personnel assignment. In addition to the operational security function within the framework of ECM2, this solution provided increased benefits in terms of availability, development and regulations. In addition, PROSE led the newly appointed obsolescence manager in the establishment of the competence matrix of the ECM2 team for the auditcapable mapping of competence management within the framework of technical mentoring.

Leadership Coaching ECM2 Manager for life cycle extension locomotive Re620

Customer: SBB Cargo, Switzerland

Project tasks

  • Review of contents Re620
  • Technical Mentoring old Locomotives Fleet Manager
  • Leadership Coaching ECM2-Manager in Conceptualisation

Our approach

PROSE developed a three-stage concept as part of a professional coaching phase for the current ECM2 manager of SBB Cargo; taking into account the stabilisation of reliability and availability up to 2035 at the level of 2020 and the completion of revision R2 with a defined content, a planned annual mileage up to End of Life (EoL) of 120 thousand kilometres p.a. or 1.8 million km and a removal of the separation between light (SBB Cargo) and heavy maintenance (SBB-P, Bellinzona industrial plant), which had arisen as a result of the organisational split-up within the SBB Group.

Customer benefit

This concept gave SBB Cargo a sustainable opportunity to operate the strategically important Re6/6 fleet for a further fifteen years. The current ECM2 manager received management coaching at the appropriate level for the conception of a fifteen-year life extension for the Re620 (SLM) old locomotive from the 1970s.

 

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