Markets: RAIL INDUSTRY

Damping for Rail:

Heathcotes are a leading supplier of noise and vibration damping materials used by manufacturers in the rail industry to improve the comfort and safety of railway passengers and operators across the world. Working with our customers throughout the design process to deliver the best solution for their needs.

Heathcotes dampers are used in a wide range of applications through out the rail industry including:

	Wheel dampers
	Carriage & cab dampers - including floors, side walls and roofs
	Ducting and ventilation dampers
	Engine & gearbox damped enclosures & covers
	Dampers for industrial wagons and rolling stock

They are used on a wide range of rail projects around the world from Metros, trams and subsurface trains, wagons and coal trucks, through to cross country and the new Very High Speed (VHS) trains.

Composite Panels for Rail:

Heathcotes manufacture a wide range of different composite panels which are used in the rail industry. These include epoxy glass and carbon fibre materials, as well as light weight honeycomb composite panels. Typical applications include:

	Door & Flooring Systems.
	Catering & retail modules.
	Glass and Carbon panels with cores of honeycomb or foam up to 2.5x1.25m.
	Ceiling panels, bulkheads, partitions and draught screens.
	Toilet doors and cubical panels.

Composite Springs for Rail:

Heathcotes composite leaf springs are commonly used in vibratory conveyors and feeders, but their high fatigue strength and reliability make them ideal for use in rail applications, including:

	High Strength Electrical insulators.
	Train pantograph structures.
	Electrical switches

Laminates for Rail:

Our plastic laminates are used in many rail applications, including:

	Multilayer keypads
	Laminated Polycarbonate screens
	Polarising and vision restricted screens.
	Anti Graffiti films
	Decals and signs

Dynamic Consultancy for Rail:

There are a number of things to consider when using constrained layer dampers, and understanding the way a structure is vibrating can be very useful in achieving the optimal levels of damping. Using computational techniques and analysis tools we able to ensure you use the best damping solution for your application:

	Analysis of structures to determine natural frequencies and mode shapes
	Identification of potential problem modes of vibration within frequency range of operation
	Predictions of undamped and damped response to evaluate performance over a range of operating conditions
	Optimisation of dampers for performance, weight and cost: (polymer properties and thickness, constraining layer material and thickness, damper sizes and locations)

An example of a simple dynamic analysis of an aluminium panel can be found in our Latest News: