Case Study
Elastic Bearings of Floating Floors
in Hitachi High-Speed Trains (UK)Considerable increase in passenger
comfortReduction in vibrations and noiseGreater safety due to the fireretardant Sylomer® FR material

Increased Comfort
that pays Dividends

The Getzner solution

The project
The British Department for Transport has invested in new high-speed
trains as part of the “InterCity
Express Programme (IEP)” rail
investment programme. Highcomfort levels were the focus of theproject. Getzner's solution waselastic floating floors for rollingstock.
n long-distance lines around theworld in particular, rail competes
directly with air travel. The expansionof many high speed networks between important cities ensures thatrail is seen as the better alternative to
air travel in many cases. When choosing a suitable rail vehicle supplier, theBritish Department for Transport opted for manufacturer Hitachi Rail Europe, who is part of the Japanese
conglomerate of the same name. Thisis because Hitachi trains with special
floating floor solutions from Getzner
offer major benefits in terms of vibration and noise reduction.

OPassenger comfort: a crucial sales
argument“Experience shows that travellers
tend to opt for rail if, in addition toshort journey times and punctuality,
an appropriately high level of comfort
is provided”, confirms Tomoko
Takekawa, Chief Executive Officer ofGetzner Japan. Uneven running surfaces, corrugated rails and the drive
motors place considerable stress on

the carriage components and cause
noise pollution for passengers andstaff alike. The bogie absorbs a large
portion of excitation frequencies fromthe vehicle's undercarriage. However,
the remaining vibrations move thevehicle body and subsequently thefloor construction, which can lead toconsiderable vibrations and secondary airborne noise.
Thus, Getzner was tasked with effectively reducing the floating floor vibrations. Getzner was the ideal choicefor Hitachi owing to the company's
extensive experience in this area.

Advantages— Considerable reduction invibrations and noise in thecarriage interior— Increased comfort for passengers— Less wear of the carriage
construction and thus reduced maintenance costs— Minimal deflections over theentire service life
— Simple processing of thematerial— Tolerance compensation
during installation

Reduced noise and wear
etzner bearings for floating floors
guarantee a more peaceful atmosphere in the train interior. “Ourhigh-tech elastomers are highly effective despite their low overall height,
and can therefore be relied upon tomeet the required noise levels in thepassenger carriages”, explains
Tomoko Takekawa.

G“The elastomers minimise the transfer of vibrations to the interior fittings, the structure and the electroniccomponents. Not only does this signif-Getzner is equipping all trains
manufactured for the programme
between 2014 and 2018 with bearings
for f loating f loors

Greater comfort for passengers

icantly reduce noise, but also wear. Insummary, elastic bearings lower
maintenance costs.” This is a key
sales argument for manufacturers ofrail vehicles and rail operators.

Hitachi trains are made of the fire
retardant material Sylomer® FR. Thisachieves a Hazard Level (HL) 3 rating
for floor constructions (R10) andmeets the European requirements ofthe DIN EN 45545-2 fire protection
standard for rail vehicles. Tests andclassifications according to German
DIN 5510-2, American NFPA 130 andJapanese JRMA are also available.

Elasticity with added safety
The fact that the polyurethane materials Sylomer® and Sylodyn® fromGetzner are among the leading vibration isolation materials on the international market is not only reflectedin their effectiveness in reducing vibrations and noise. The elastic bearings in the floating floors of the newGetzner floating floors are consistent
with the standards that we employ
during train construction.

Extensive experience in the bearingof floating floors
However, the reason for the collaboration with Getzner was not just down
to the materials. Lukas Tschann, Project Manager at Getzner explains thereasoning behind the decision: “Wewon the contract due to the exceptional performance of our materials,
our extensive experience in equipping
rail vehicles and because our solution
was the most cost-effective. Othersignificant factors were our international references in this sector andthe external assessments that demonstrated the high level of effectivenessand exceptional long-term behaviourof our materials.”
The largest order in the company's
history
The four-year contract includes thesupply and the design of approximately 78.000 elastic strips of thematerial Sylomer® FR. This meansthat until 2018, Getzner will be equip-ping all trains manufactured for the“InterCity Express Programme” withvibration-isolating floating floors. It is
the largest project for equipping
floating floors with Sylomer® FR material since Getzner was founded.

Feedback“The floor system is an important
aspect of the new Hitachi 800 train
series, with respect to increased passenger comfort and safety requirements. We are looking forward to continuing our partnership with Getzner
and the long-term supply of materials
for the floor system. Getzner is able
to tailor these materials perfectly tocustomer requirements, and the company's high-quality products are also
consistent with the standards that weemploy during train construction.”
Jamie Foster, Procurement Director
at Hitachi Rail Europe

Facts and figures
Floating floors for rolling stock – "InterCity Express Programme (IEP)"

Implementation:
Scope:

Getzner
Project Manager:

Hitachi Rail Europe
Great Western Main Line from 2017
East Coast Main Line (Phase I and II) from 2018
2014–2018
Supplying and designing of approximately 78.000 elastic
strips of Sylomer® FR (conforming to the DIN EN 45545-2
fire protection standard for rail vehicles)
Lukas Tschann

Getzner Werkstoffe GmbHFoundation:
Chief Executive Officer:
Employees:
2017 turnover:Business areas:
Headquarters:
Locations:

Ratio of exports:

1969 (as a subsidiary of Getzner, Mutter & Cie)Ing. Jürgen Rainalter420
EUR 95.2 million
Railway, construction, industry
Bürs (AT)
Munich (DE), Berlin (DE), Stuttgart (DE), Lyon (FR),Amman (JO), Tokyo (JP), Pune (IN), Beijing (CN),Kunshan (CN), Charlotte (US)94 %Photo credits: Hitachi Rail Europe Ltd.

AUSTRIA — Bürs GERMANY — Berlin — Munich — Stuttgart FRANCE — Lyon
JAPAN — Tokyo INDIA — Pune CHINA — Beijing USA — Charlotte

JORDAN — Amman
www.getzner.com

CS WBL en © Copyright by Getzner Werkstoffe GmbH | 07-2018

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