BWG - Turnout Technology for High-Speed and Standard Railways, Urban Traffic and Heavy Haul Equipment

BWG is world market leader in high-speed turnout technology and amongst others in light-rail systems as well as heavy haul equipment. The product scope includes the development and manufacturing of turnouts and permanent way systems made of Vignol and grooved rails, as well as services for permanent way construction.

HIGH SPEED TURNOUTS

BWG is the world market leader in high-speed turnouts - above all on slab track. Over 850 high-speed turnouts for high-speed lines mainly in Germany, Spain, The Netherlands and Taiwan have been supplied within the last couple of years.

Here are some of our major innovations, presenting our peak technology for a faster future:

BWG Turnouts - guarantee maximum travelling comfort on both the straight line and the diversion.

Clothoid curvature design- prevents excessive lateral acceleration and jerks. This ensures not only travelling comfort, but also considerably reduces wear.

KGO®174; - a dynamic and geometric optimisation of the running surface conditions of vehicles with cone-shaped wheels in switches and frogs with movable points has been developed by BWG. A consistent sinusoidal wave pattern and undisturbed passage of the wheel through the switch blade/stock rail, etc. is achieved with a Kinematic Gauge Optimisation (KGO). With the help of a computer simulation program, which we developed, the theoretical form of the switch is calculated. Contact of the wheel flange along the rail is almost completely avoided. The impressive advantages of this innovation are firstly, the increase in running stability of the vehicle and thus in travelling comfort and, secondly, the minimised contact between the wheel flange and the rail resulting in lower wear.

Highly elastic fastening systems - for rails and points are an absolute requirement in the high-speed sector. Making use of as few components as possible, the energy of the vibrations created by the wheel/rail contact is to be absorbed. BWG offers effective solutions for both ballasted and slab track.

HRS locking devices - and individual drives guarantee reliability and safety.

TRAMWAY SERVICES / LIGHT RAIL - GROOVED RAIL TURNOUTS

BWG offers a comprehensive grooved rail turnout collection, which traditionally comes into utilisation in the covered, road flush sector for tramways and in the connecting junction construction (e.g. harbour tramways).

Vignol turnouts are at present being utilised more and more often on open track formations instead of grooved rail turnouts for tramway services. Our plant in Gotha specialises in all urban traffic applications and can always call upon the technical know-how and special manufacturing processes of the company's other locations in Butzbach and Brandenburg.

Switching areas:

• Flat bedded switching areas with radii of 17.5m to 150m
• Deep bedded switching areas with radii of up to 190m
• Extended switching areas - symmetric/asymmetric
• Removable switch rails through adapter technology
• Switching areas with Kinematic Gauge Optimisation (KGO)

Frogs - build up monobloc frogs; build up rail frogs and transition frogs.

Turnouts, Crossovers - single turnout with standard radii between 25 and 150m, diamond crossings, single or double crossovers, track triangles, track.

Special fabrications - rail expansion joints, temporary lay-on turnouts for maintenance purposes, twin and triplet track rail-frames, run-out units, insulated rail joints, switch rail rollers, gauge rods, wooden or concrete sleepers, rigid and elastic ribbed plate bearings and through-bolt fastenings.

Switching devices - mechanical, electro-mechanical and electro-hydraulic.

Material qualities - naturally hardened rail steels, welding-technical heat treating, HSH head special hardened, fine pearlitic heat treating, manganese steel for switch rails and frogs, molybdenum coated sliding plates and sliding chairs.

SYSTEMS FOR TURNOUT INSTALLATION INTO THE TRACK (CRANES)

BWG has developed and manufactured a turnout installation and transportation device in order to satisfy operator requirements. This equipment means the shortest installation times in spite of completely assembled points and also means the highest standards are set as no disassembly and reassembly at installation site is necessary.

• Allows installation of components or entire turnouts of lengths up to 60m and loads up to 60t
• Neighbouring tracks can continue to be used during installation

If required we also take responsibility for the complete installation process on site. We offer a complete package - from design, manufacture and delivery to installation and maintenance.

BWG is the leading supplier offering a complete service package around the turnout by means of the most modern technology.