Carbon fiber leaf spring used on bogie design

[bikkuri bahn]

Related to Kawasaki Heavy Industries efWING bogie, a component used in that product:

Japan’s Toho Tenax Co. Ltd. and Kawasaki Heavy Industries Ltd. have developed a carbon fiber reinforced plastic railway carriage component that for the first time replaces steel in coil springs, helping to lightweight rail cars.

Tokyo-based Toho Tenax said Dec. 21 that the CFRP leaf spring can be mass produced for railcar trucks, and is in use in Kawasaki’s “new generation” rail truck, its efWING, which it began delivering to customers last year. A railcar truck is carriage and wheels, while car itself is the structure riding on the truck.

 

http://www.plasticsnews.com/article/20151222/NEWS/151229950/carbon-fiber-goes-to-work-on-the-railroad

[katoftw]

The article is not related to the efWing.  The article is about the efWing.

Edited January 19, 2016 by katoftw

[bikkuri bahn]

The article is not related to the efWing.  The article is about the efWing.

 

No, I beg to differ.  It is about a component manufactured by Toho Tenax (albeit a critical part) used in the bogie design, not about the bogie in its entirety.

 

Anyway, here is the promotional material for the efWing bogie (in its entirety), from the manufacturer of said bogie, Kawasaki Heavy Industries:

http://www.kawasakirailcar.com/media/548282be8ffc8.pdf

[NXCALE]

Related to Kawasaki Heavy Industries efWING bogie, a component used in that product:

http://www.plasticsnews.com/article/20151222/NEWS/151229950/carbon-fiber-goes-to-work-on-the-railroad

 

I think that this was presented in one of the episodes of Japan Railway Journal.

Interesting technology, thanks for the link.

 

Cheers,

 

Nxcale

[miyakoji]

The JR Shikoku 7200 (refurbed 121) with the Kawasaki trucks is getting some coverage in the August 2016 Japan Railfan.

 

http://railf.jp/japan_railfan_magazine/point/664/664-053.html

[Jensen]

Glad to hear some advancement on lightening the bogie, have heard about this 3 years ago.

Finally some result, this will  lighten the train up, since more or less they have shred weight everywhere. 

 

I don't how world has change but iirc while I was following B787 Japan has 50% of carbon fiber market 3 years ago (same time I heard about trying to carbon fiber technology of bogies). The aim was to reduce weight by half (guessing 1000kg-500kg?)