Reliability for Railway technology

When it comes to applications for railway technology, customers benefit from our many years of experience. Modes of transport for carrying millions of passengers require special conditions.

◼︎ High levels of resistance against the harsh elements such as water, ice, snow and metal dust as per EN 60310

◼︎ High vertical range of manufacture and a tested quality standard

◼︎ All the usual European standards complied with

◼︎ Fire safety as per EN 45545

◼︎ Flexible production and development of special solutions

Whether it be a tram, the subway of one of the world's largest cities, or a high-speed train, numerous partners rely on the quality of BLOCK railway products. Auxiliary converters supply the air-conditioning system, lighting, kitchens, or plug sockets of the rail carriage. Transformers provide safe galvanic isolation. Filters and reactors are used for a clean signal between the carriage power supply and the load. DC/DC converters and electronic circuit breakers are found in numerous areas of central supply systems, air-conditioning technology, train communications, in infotainment, and in signal tower technology. Our products are specially developed and designed for railway applications. It goes without saying they comply with all important standards and are tested in the toughest of conditions.

Products for more efficiency in trains

MF transformer
Combination of four air-cooled medium-frequency transformers in one assembly. Suitable for installation in dirty areas (PD4)

Example:
Power: 2 x 100 kVA / 2 x 20 kVA
Primary voltage: 600 V
Secondary voltage: 750 V / 150 V
Frequency: 18 kHz
Weight: 65 kg
PRO-CONNECT

Reactor
Boost converter reactor with ferrite core, suitable for heat sink or cooling plate installation

Example:
Inductance: 12 µH
RMS current: 110 A
Peak current: 210 A (discontinuous operation)   
Frequency: 30 kHz

MF transformer
Medium-frequency transformer with uncut nanocrystalline core technology: significant noise reduction, low loss and heat dissipation

Example:
Power: 50 kVA
Primary voltage: 500 V
Secondary voltage: 750 V
Frequency: 2,5 kHz square-wave voltage
Weight: 30 kg

MF transformer
Encapsulated medium-frequency transformer for installation in housing openings or on a heat sink

Example:
Power: 40 kVA
Primary voltage: 500 V
Secondary voltage: 600 V
Frequency: 8 kHz
Weight: 20 kg


Operation under special conditions

Our products for railway technology are tested to a wide variety of humidity, wetness and climate tests. Irrespective of whether the devices were in a water bath for 10 minutes or 24 hours, or are exposed to 100% humidity, they reliably pass our high-voltage and insulation resistance test. Once all tests have been performed exhaustively in the BLOCK test laboratory, resistance to water, snow, and dust is ensured.

Heat presents materials with special challenges. Heavy temperature fluctuations can not only damage insulation. A well-dimensioned cooling system coupled with a correct thermal design ensure that BLOCK products are ideally suited to the demanding requirements for service life in trains.

Strong vibrations occur when changing tracks and at high speeds. They exacerbate wear and have an influence on the connections and windings of the installed components. BLOCK inductors are especially robust with respect to the mechanical stresses of railway applications.

Reactor
Ferrite core input reactor with cooling channels for natural air-cooling

Example:
Inductance: 230 µH
DC current: 70 A
AC current: 110 A
Main current harmonic frequency: 5 kHz

 

Reactor
Air-core reactor for minimizing the effects of voltage drops and for limiting peak currents.
Prepared for accelerated air-cooling with 3 m/s

Example:
Inductance: 2,3 mH
RMS current: 300 A
Peak current: 210 A (discontinuous operation)   
Frequency: 30 kHz

 

DC/DC converter
Especially robust for installation on a TS35 rail

Example:
Input voltage: 77 – 140 Vdc
Output voltage: 24 Vdc
Output current: 2 A

 

Electronic 8-channel circuit breaker
Especially compact and communicative with I/O link interface for installation on a TS35 rail

Example:
Voltage: 24 Vdc
Adjustable tripping currents: 8 x 1-10 A

 


Tested quality as per standards

Sophisticated railway products require an experienced development partner. From first contact through to delivery, BLOCK represents a one-stop shop for a comprehensive range of development, production, and testing options. Each product is standardized and tested to EN 60310.
Railway products are in use for 30 years and more, round the clock, subjected to heat, cold, water and dust. There are only a few other industries in which the resistance capability, reliability, and safety of the products used are under so much focus as they are in railway technology.

Development, test laboratory and production in one location

Our experienced developers are able to draw on extensive testing and production options at BLOCK. In the BLOCKLab, product prototypes are tested for mechanical and thermal influences. In shock and vibration tests, or in the control cabinet, we subject our products to endurance tests.
In order to ensure materials, production, and design are in perfect harmony, our development engineers are in close contact with engineers and mechanics from material processing and production. The diverse production options permit the processing of core materials made from 0.1 mm-thick electrical sheet, ferrite or powder material, as well as nanocrystalline or amorphous cores. The same applies to winding material made from wire, foil, or HF stranded litz wire. Thus it is not only production which fulfills the strictest of demands. Mechanical parts used for different assembly areas can be tailored precisely to an application in our own mechanical production facility. BLOCK railway products are individually developed, produced, and tested to the highest requirements of the industry. Their use represents the highest quality and reliability on the track.

Ready for every requirement

Rail systems require robust and proven technology for the products used. BLOCK specializes in meeting the special demands of railway technology.

PRO-CONNECT

A housing design specially for the combination of different IP ranges without additional seals. For a reduction of the fault susceptibility of the system and the minimization of installation costs.