INNOTRANS: Braking and onboard equipment specialist Knorr-Bremse will be exhibiting at this year’s InnoTrans under the motto ‘Get into the Flow’.
Visitors will be given an in-depth tour of the group’s products and services during the four days. The company says these will be focused ‘directly’ on the current and future needs of customers. ‘We want to talk to our stakeholders, including vehicle manufacturers and fleet operators, about all the political, economic and social challenges confronting the mobility sector and the rail industry, and show them the solutions we’ve devised at first hand’, says Dr Jürgen Wilder, Executive Board Member for the Rail Vehicle Systems division.
‘These include pioneering innovations for digitalised, automated freight transportation, but also numerous system solutions that can be implemented with immediate, tangible effect — all designed to strengthen the rail sector and deliver on our industry’s commitment to dependability.’
The company’s 1 000 m2 stand will showcase connected products and services in three zones, each targeting a selection of key market demand. The three ‘rooms’ are: Ecological Footprint, Traffic Flow, and Train Operations & Maintenance. A fourth dedicated space will focus on Knorr-Bremse’s Smart Solutions, an overarching ecosystem that brings together the various subcomponents and subsystems to deliver additional functions and services.
The Ecological Footprint area will explain how customers can help to create a sustainable rail industry and improve their vehicles’ eco-footprint. Products here will include integrated, energy-efficient HVAC systems and green air systems using refrigerants with low global warming potential. The company’s commitment to high standards of recyclability across its range will also be in focus.
Traffic Flow will highlight two main levers for boosting rail capacity and throughput: high vehicle availability and reduced train headways. One innovation on show will be Knorr-Bremse’s Digital Freight Train concept, which includes Digital Automatic Couplers, the Knorr-Bremse automation system, and related digital services. The next generation of brakes includes an electromechanical brake, which uses brake-by-wire technology to transfer braking signals and energy electronically rather than pneumatically. The EM brake is backed up by the CubeControl and FlexControl brake control families, designed to provide bespoke brake control technology for almost any multiple-unit.
Train Operations & Maintenance: ‘Sustain, enhance, accelerate’ are the principles underpinning this aspect of the company’s portfolio. Knorr-Bremse says operators can use these services to meet sustainability targets or to increase fleet availability through the digitalisation of workflows and by applying innovative maintenance models for onboard equipment and components.
Smart Solutions & Applications can optimise the ecological footprint, boost traffic flow, and lift train operations and maintenance capabilities to a whole new level, the company believes. Knorr-Bremse’s Smart Solutions allow manufacturers and operators to configure their own Application Landscapes, tailored to their own vehicle mixes and fleets.
Typical solutions range from applications for energy-efficient driving and condition-based maintenance through to smart billing support for transparent energy management, including fleet and service management and intelligent Internet of Things services. Knorr-Bremse says it is investing in startups and high-tech companies that are leaders in their chosen fields — sensor technology, connectivity and big data — with the aim of further enhancing the safety, availability and efficiency of rail operations through digitalisation and automation.
In addition to the Knorr-Bremse group’s main display in Hall 1.2, various of its subsidiaries will also be attending InnoTrans individually, including Cometfans, Microelettrica and Zelisko. Knorr-Bremse will also be represented on the Europe’s Rail Joint Undertaking stand, and its Merak and Evac brands covering HVAC and sanitary systems will be on show in Deutsche Bahn’s Ideas Tent just outside the South Entrance of the Messe Berlin venue.
Elsewhere, a battery-powered e-bus fitted out by Kiepe Electric will welcome visitors for tours of the venue’s Summer Garden.
