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Rowe Hankins Ltd
Power House
Parker Street
Bury
Lancs BL9 0RJ
United Kingdom

T.+44(0)161 765 3000
F.+44(0)161 705 2900

sales@rowehankins.com

www.rowehankins.com

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Items in the Railtex 2007 Press Pack
Intelligent Wheel Flange Lubrication System (IWFLS)
Trouble Free Circuit Protection for Rail Traction
Reliable Speed Sensing Improves Acceleration and Deceleration
Contracts and Collaborations

Intelligent Wheel Flange Lubrication System (IWFLS)

Excess wheel flange wear affects safety, reliability and the environment. The need for repair has direct and indirect costs, not least because it takes both rolling stock and track out of service. At Railtex, Rowe Hankins showed their new intelligent wheel flange lubrication (IWFLS) that reduces wheel flange wear. The management control system provides the intelligence, integrating lubrication technology from Fuchs with distribution equipment from REBS, to deliver a measured pulse of bio-degradable lubricant at the exact track position where it is required.

Wheel and track wear are substantially reduced, extending service and maintenance intervals. Noise nuisance is eliminated while the bio-degradable lubricants, applied in minimal doses, will disperse and break down naturally.

The unit is pre-programmed with location data on areas of track where lubrication is required. Using the global positioning system (GPS) to pinpoint problem areas of track, it delivers a precise pulse of lubricant to the leading wheel set in each bogey. Rowe Hankins will have a full-scale demonstration unit operating from April on rolling stock at the Long Marston sidings near Stratford.

Rowe Hankins Component’s team of experienced rail engineers can assist with specification, installation, trials and approvals and will support systems throughout their working life. IWFLS can be fitted to all classes of rail rolling stock from light rapid transit vehicles to heavy freight trucks. It may be installed as original equipment or retro-fitted during an in-house service upgrade.

More Information

Toni Hankins, Tel. +44 (0)161 765 3000 Fax. +44 (0)161 705 2900
E-mail: sales@rowehankins.com Web: www.rowehankins.com
Rowe Hankins Ltd, Power House, Parker Street, Bury, Lancashire, BL9 0RJ, UK

Press pack issued: February 20, 2007

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Trouble Free Circuit Protection for Rail Traction

As distributors of Eaton Heinemann hydraulic magnetic circuit breakers for over 20 years, Rowe Hankins has pioneered this technology for rail traction. In traction, critical event protection is vital, but nuisance tripping cannot be tolerated, and hydraulic magnetic technology gives the precision and reliability required.

A new range of 1U sized breakers, the Slimline series, was introduced at the Railtex show. Unique to Heinemann, these miniaturised breakers are the smallest hydraulic magnetic breakers available. Compact size makes them ideal for use in modern rolling stock where space and weight are key considerations.

In addition to higher device packing density, the compact size gives designers much more flexibility. The hydraulic magnetic mechanism can be calibrated against medium, short or instantaneous delay trip curves. Nuisance tripping is completely avoided and a one hundred percent rated performance is delivered, even at raised temperatures and with current in-rush.

1U Series Slimline circuit beakers are available in current ranges 1 to 100 Amps and are rated 80Vdc and up to 240Vac. They perform reliably in temperatures from -40 to +80 degrees Celsius. The units are CE marked and accepted by Underwriters Laboratories as compliant with UL489 for branch circuit protection.

Rowe Hankins also revealed their own range of dual-protection RCBO devices. Based on the hydraulic magnetic principle to give precision protection the RCBO combines the benefit of breaker with the Earth leakage protection given by an RCD. The units are available in two and four pole configurations.

More Information

Toni Hankins, Tel. +44 (0)161 765 3000 Fax. +44 (0)161 705 2900
E-mail: sales@rowehankins.com Web: www.rowehankins.com
Rowe Hankins Ltd, Power House, Parker Street, Bury, Lancashire, BL9 0RJ, UK

Press pack issued: February 20, 2007

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Reliable Speed Sensing Improves Acceleration and Deceleration

Worldwide, Rowe Hankins has installed over 12,000 Hall-effect speed monitoring devices, as either original equipment or retro fitted in trains or light rapid-transit vehicles. Two models are available, the I-Mag sensor, frequently fitted to gear boxes on existing stock, and the Mag-T, a sealed target and sensor unit commonly installed on axles.

Monitoring speed at each axle set on rolling stock provides data for better synchronisation and so gives a more effective use of power. This improves acceleration and deceleration while reducing wheel slip and damage to wheel sets and track.

Rowe Hankins have invested heavily in research to make the latest generation of devices even more reliable. Their engineers have addressed issues of lateral misalignment and variable gap between the sensor and the target. The new I-Mag sensors can be installed with a gap of up to 4mm between sensor and target and still provide a positive and reliable impulse.

Other improvements in the range include standardisation of mechanical components and electronic systems. This will reduce the spares inventory and provide greater interchange of components between different programmes.

Measures to give more impulses per cycle have also been introduced on Mag-T pulse generators. These can now give up to 112 pulses per rotation giving much greater positional accuracy. The first practical application of this will be in platform positioning systems on London Underground.

More Information

Toni Hankins, Tel. +44 (0)161 765 3000 Fax. +44 (0)161 705 2900
E-mail: sales@rowehankins.com Web: www.rowehankins.com
Rowe Hankins Ltd, Power House, Parker Street, Bury, Lancashire, BL9 0RJ, UK

Press pack issued: February 20, 2007

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Contracts and Collaborations

Sub-Surface Line Win

As the UK distributor and accredited service repair centre for Hasler’s Teloc series on-train monitoring and recording (OTMR) system, Rowe Hankins has introduced the system to a number of operators. In addition to meeting the need for evidential recording of key data, the systems also provide vital early warning of potential problems, allowing timely preventative maintenance.

The Teloc 2500 series units have been selected by Bombardier for use on the London Underground Sub-Surface line in a £1.4 million contract.

West Coast Collaboration

Working with LEM, Rowe Hankins is developing a non-intrusive current monitoring system, NICS, which was unveiled at the Railtex show. This has applications both trackside and onboard trains for monitoring feeds to electrical panels and enclosures. Insulation on these cables can break down or may be subject to mechanical damage. Early warning permits timely preventative maintenance to maximise system reliability and uptime. These systems are in use on the upgraded West Coast Main Line.

Design, Prototyping, Development and Manufacturing Capability

Rowe Hankins has extensive in-house design, prototyping, testing and manufacturing facilities. This enables them to undertake consultancy projects that go beyond paper exercises to develop products and solutions that address technical, economic and operational issues.

As a manufacturer with in house facilities and partners throughout the world, they can then specify the manufacturing technique and match the scale of production to ensure economic delivery. The company can offer flexible services from the low volume service and rebuilding of heavy duty contactors and circuit breakers to large scale component manufacture. All processes are subject to documented quality control for compliance, assured performance and traceability.

More Information

Toni Hankins, Tel. +44 (0)161 765 3000 Fax. +44 (0)161 705 2900
E-mail: sales@rowehankins.com Web: www.rowehankins.com
Rowe Hankins Ltd, Power House, Parker Street, Bury, Lancashire, BL9 0RJ, UK

Press pack issued: February 20, 2007

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New for Railtex is the Rowe Hankins intelligent Wheel Flange Lubrication System (WFLS).

In addition to higher device packing density, the compact 1U size circuit breaker from Rowe Hankins gives rack mount equipment designers much more flexibility.

Based on the hydraulic magnetic principle to give precision protection the RCBO combines the benefit of circuit breaker with the Earth leakage protection given by an RCD.

A Rowe Hankins Hall-effect pulse generator produces a strong signal that is directly proportional to speed - essential for speed control and rollback protection.

The TELOC 1500 OTMRs are made by HaslerRail and are supplied and customised by traction experts, Rowe Hankins.

Text Version Downloads Railtex Press Pack