Railway Tram car bodies built to last

Vossloh España finds a solution for further sustainability in tram car bodies from Outokumpu’s lean duplex stainless steel.

Light rail transit systems are developed and expanded intensively in many cities throughout the world. These systems are an efficient and viable solution for public transport, and even mature cities in developed countries are installing new tramways and other urban rail transit networks. Among other leading manufacturers of rail transport equipment, the Vossloh Group is tapping into the trend. This major European manufacturer of locomotives and passenger trains places an expanding focus on tramways, train-trams, metro trains and commuter trains at its Valencia-based subsidiary Vossloh España, S.A. Stainless steel has for long been a key part of Vossloh España’s production programme in suburban trains. Stainless provides the corrosion resistance and strength in structural sections of car bodies to meet the company’s commitment to build sustainable public transport equipment. Up until today Vossloh España’s stainless steel reference grade in structural sections has been ferritic EN 1.4003. This is a chromium stainless steel that offers a superior alternative to mild (carbon) steel in structural applications in moderately corrosive operating environments. On a new commission from a major metropolitan customer, Vossloh now seeks to develop a tram with longer design life and lower maintenance needs compared to conventional designs. During the early R&D phase of the new tram, Vossloh España was introduced by Outokumpu to duplex LDX 2101®, a lean duplex stainless grade developed and produced by the stainless steel company. After a review of the properties of this duplex grade against the customer requirements, Vossloh replaced ferritic 1.4003 with duplex LDX 2101® despite the substantially higher cost of the latter material. “We chose duplex LDX 2101® because of its strength and corrosion resistance,” says a representative of Vossloh España’s engineering department. He elaborates, “First, the duplex grade’s yield strength is 60% and tensile strength 45% higher than the values presented by the ferritic grade. “Second, duplex LDX 2101® has corrosion resistance similar to that of the austenitic stainless steel grade EN 1.4404 (ASTM 316L). This is much higher compared to ferritic 1.4003.” LDX 2101® (EN 1.4162) is a low-alloyed, general-purpose duplex stainless steel. It features high proof strength, similar to that of other duplex grades. Duplex LDX 2101® is one of the high-strength stainless steel options offered by Outokumpu for rail transport. High-strength stainless steel grades help to reduce vehicle weight, reduce maintenance and improve energy efficiency. They can be applied to arrive at designs optimised with respect to strength, maintenance, durability and long-term cost efficiency. Some of their benefits are safety-related and include high energy absorption at impact and a greater level of fire resistance, in addition to less likelihood of weakened structures owing to corrosion. Outokumpu supplies a comprehensive range of stainless steel grades, dimensions and finishes. They provide designers and engineers with exceptional possibilities to create innovative, light-weight railway vehicles of the future.

A metro train car body under construction at the plant of Vossloh España. Photo courtesy of same. A metro train supplied by Vossloh España. Photo courtesy of s

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Railway Efficiency, Sustainability and Safety on Rail

Stainless steel makes for the best passenger railcars. Alstom relies on Outokumpu’s custom-developed high-strength steel in the shells of metro railcars to stay ahead.

Alstom is at ease with a key material used to manufacture world-leading metro railcars at their Lapa site in Brazil. Since 2008 they have used Outokumpu’s high-strength stainless steel in the car shells. No more challenges with unreliable coils, resulting in continual new setups, cracking and waste of time. Importantly, in the fiercely competitive railway business, Alstom has found a partner who takes worries away from them in ensuring that they use the most technically innovative product. “We have appreciated good support from Outokumpu,” a representative of Alstom at Lapa says, affirming that they expect close cooperation from their suppliers in identifying optimal solutions. “Outokumpu has shown good performance in technical issues.” The optimal solution for Alstom in the shells of metro railcar bodies is Outokumpu’s temper rolled austenitic grade ASTM 301LN (EN 1.4318), which provides the unique combination of very high strength and good formability. The grade has been developed especially for structural railcar body components where strength and toughness are required. Sustainable railcar bodies Leading railway equipment manufacturers have embraced 301LN as the best product on the market for railcar bodies to boost their competitiveness. The grade’s list of benefits explains why. The high strength allows for use of thinner gauges and so helps to reduce weight. It can also lower maintenance costs compared to other materials. Temper rolling not only hardens the steel but also gives the surface an aesthetically pleasing look – important when railcar bodies are not coated. Leaving the surfaces uncoated markedly increases sustainability in railcars. The corrosion resistance of 301LN is the same as that of the most widely used stainless steel (ASTM 304 / EN 1.4301) and, important for passenger transport equipment, the grade features excellent fire resistance. Manufacturers commend the grade for ease of fabrication. Increasingly the choice by transportation authorities Stainless steel is embraced by an increasing number of public transportation authorities as the solution that gives them vastly longer service lives of equipment compared to other railcar shell materials. Lighter and stronger than the alternatives, stainless contributes to environmentally friendly transportation. Today Outokumpu stainless steel helps to transport passengers in major cities of the world from Melbourne to Vienna to Los Angeles. Among the many satisfied customers, the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority lauds their stainless steel metro railcars. “There is no need to repaint every two to three years, as there is with other materials. Stainless steel increases the lifespan of cars. Normally we’d expect a 30-year life, but stainless gives us 40 years,” explains Metro spokesman Rick Jager (in an interview to Outokumpu unrelated to Alstom).

Manufacture of metro railcars at Alstom’s Lapa plant. Alstom Transp

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Transportation

The transport industry faces many challenges. Arguably the most important is in developing new technologies and materials to ensure today’s vehicles are sustainable, efficient and economic.

When selecting materials for the industry, engineers and technicians are looking for metals and materials that are strong, light weight, easy to fabricate, low maintenance etc. Particularly within heavy transport, engineers need to consider cargo contamination and, where appropriate, the corrosive nature of any materials being carried.

The use of stainless steel gives engineers extra flexibility in their design due to its excellent corrosion resistance, weight to strength and fabrication properties.

Stainless steel is ideal for use in the following applications:

• Tankers
• Rail transportation
• Ship building and maintenance
• Automobile
• Exhaust components

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