Trelleborg Industrial AVS (TIAVS) has won a major contract to supply Metalastik® Chevron™ springs for new light rail vehicles being built by Rotem of South Korea for Istanbul’s light rail system.
Trelleborg is supplying over 800 Metalastik® chevrons™ as primary suspension springs. They are fitted in pairs between the wheel axles and bogie frame to give longitudinal, vertical and lateral flexibility and are designed to absorb high levels of shock and vibration. Metalastik® chevrons™ are built to a special non-linear design, ensuring progressive spring stiffness and providing greater flexibility at full load.
The design was pioneered on London Underground over 50 years ago. Since then many thousands have given reliable, low-maintenance service in locomotives, high-speed passenger coaches, freight wagons and metros throughout the world. Trelleborg Industrial AVS offers over 50 different types of chevron springs for axlebox loadings ranging from 16kN to 120KN and vertical deflections from 12mm to 100mm.
Rotem’s light rail vehicles are destined for Istanbul and will be operated by IETT (Istanbul Elektrik Tramvay in Tünel Íşletmeleri) on the route connecting the Otogar bus station with the Bagcilar suburb. They will travel in three-car sets at a maximum speed of 80 kph and will be powered by 750 V DC motors. There are more than 8 million people travelling in Istanbul every day and of these only 8% are carried by rail, a figure which is expected to rise to 43% when all current projects are complete.
Rotem is part of the Hyundai Motor Group and, in addition to light rail vehicles, its Changwan-based rail division designs and manufactures electric and diesel locomotives, Maglev and high-speed trains, suburban train units, passenger and freight wagons.