Industrial Factory Automation

Danish state rail operator DSB is using 6KQ Ethernet switches from Garrettcom to give its trains an 'Ethernet backbone'. The 6KQ switches realise VLANs for various internal train systems, providing network connections for in-carriage IP-enabled security and surveillance equipment, infotainment systems and passenger-counting technology. The 6KQ met DSB's need for a compact, cost-effective 10-port Ethernet switch with gigabit bandwidth, in a hardened package with the assurance of EN50155 certification for railway applications. A 6KQ switch is mounted in each carriage and the switches are linked in a bus topology, providing an Ethernet backbone along the length of the train. The switches provide central points in each carriage into which the IP-enabled equipment can be readily connected. The backbone is also connected to a WLAN gateway, responsible for handling the network traffic between the train and the outside world. Network packages are transmitted and received via an an...

Edilon)(Sedra and Huntsman Polyurethanes' European business development team have made a polyurethane (PU) foam that is reducing noise pollution on busy urban transport networks. Designed for use in vibration-dampening elastomers, Acoustiflex V is a versatile MDI-based foam (methylene diphenyl diisocyanate) created to improve the performance of Edilon Trackelast - a range of flexible pads and mats. These products act as a fastening and cushioning mechanism between rail tracks and the surface materials on which they sit. With advanced load-bearing characteristics, Acoustiflex V helps Edilon Trackelast support systems to evenly distribute the physical forces and vibrations produced when a train travels over a section of track. Its dampening capabilities smooth out any irregularities in a track's surface, virtually eliminating the dull but pervasive rumbling noise produced by a moving train. This type of disturbance is a long-term problem in densely populated urban areas where th...