R a i l V e h i c l e S y s t e m s

Edition 20 | July 2008

T h e c u s t o m e r m a g a z i n e o f K n o r r - B r e m s e R a i l V e h i c l e S y s t e m s

ProjectNew marketing successesin Australia

Safety and comfort standards for drivers and passengers in multiple units

ProductsFreinrail and IFE head for success

WPSD platform screen doorsand EP2002 brake control

AftermarketKE-distributor valves

Editorial

No. 15 | März 2007 | � �

Dr. Frank Gropengießer,Chairman of the Executive BoardKnorr-Bremse Systeme für Schienen-fahrzeuge GmbH

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Handle with care! This edition of our regular information publication is positively bursting with energy. In this Informer you will find highlights from the world of Knorr-Bremse and an interview about the new crate concept for the aftermarket. The needs of vehicle builders and operators are as varied as the products they make and use, but they have one thing in common: They call for the highest levels of quality from their supplier of braking and other ve-hicle systems. That is why our customer list reads like a “Who’s Who” of the rail sector. And we are constantly working to further improve quality and services – after all, we owe it to our reputation as the world’s leading manufacturer of braking and safety-critical products for rail vehicles.

Just how we live up to this reputation can currently be seen from two major projects in Australia, where the aim is to draw together the innovative capacvities of our various sites into a single, globally-operating network. And we have done so with considerable success: In Western Australia, New York Air Brake (NYAB) has proved a reliable partner in a project to develop a customized EPC braking system based on the EP-60 platform for freight trains operated by the Fortescue Metals Group (FMG). And in Sydney, Knorr-Bremse Australia has been commissioned by vehicle builders Downer EDI-Rail to supply braking and door systems for 78 suburban trains. Another example illustrating the fact that “quality knows no borders“ is Polish vehicle builder PESA, which is using Knorr-Bremse systems to ensure enhanced safety and comfort in 23 new multi-ple units to be supplied to the Italian railroad network.

Since June 2007, our French subsidiary Freinrail Systèmes Ferroviaires has been taking the principle of customer proximity literally and opening up the aftermarket for IFE access systems, looking after French customers for IFE Automatic Door Systems, Knorr-Bremse’s Austrian division. And Westinghouse Platform Screen Doors (WPSD) continues to go from strength to strength: The history of this Center of Competence for platform screen doors within the Knorr-Bremse Group reads like a fairytale.

Last but not least, this Informer also introduces you to a new idea developed by railservices that reflects the diversity and specialist nature of our aftermarket activities: the crate concept. This is based on an approach that significantly reduces the amount of time a vehicle spends out of service undergoing maintenance or overhaul and has already proved invaluable when it comes to replacing KE-valves on freight vehicles. The system allows effective management of internal spare part procurement processes, inventory and resources and effectively reduces repair downtimes. We are sure you will find it a “crate idea“!

I hope you enjoy this chance to look behind the scenes at Knorr-Bremse!

Dr. Frank Gropengießer

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No. 20 | July 2008

Contents E d i t o r i a lDr. Frank Gropengießer �

Project New marketing successes in Australia 4

Safety and comfort standards for drivers and passengers in multiple units 14

ProductsFreinrail and IFE head for success 8

WPSD platform screen doors and EP2002 brake control 10

AftermarketKE-distributor valves 16

Publisher:Knorr-Bremse Systeme fürSchienenfahrzeuge GmbHJuly 2008

Central Editorial Office:Knorr-Bremse Systeme fürSchienenfahrzeuge GmbHMarketingKarin DirscherlMoosacher Straße 8080809 MünchenDeutschlandTel. +49 89 3547-1731Fax.+49 89 3547-2767Karin.Dirscherl@knorr-bremse.comwww.knorr-bremse.com

Conception, text and design by:Knorr-Bremse Systeme für Schienenfahrzeuge GmbH

KB MEDIA GmbHEditorial: Carmen HäberleinPhotos: Hans Peter TaubenbergerText, layout, graphics: dvhaus GmbH

Printed by: Pera Druck GmbH

Information for Knorr-Bremse’ s worldwide customers and business partners

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Knorr-Bremse’s combination of top-quality systems and services

gives the company a competitive edge in the rapidly expanding

Australian market.

New marketing successes in Australia

Major projects Down Under

In 2003, under the name of “Cloudbreak”, Fortescue Metals Group (FMG) launched a revolutionary mining project in the Pil-bara region of Western Australia: Within five years a complete new mine was to be created, with the first shiploads of iron ore leaving a newly created harbor near Port Hedland by May 2008. In order to transport the ore from the mine to the port, some 260 km of track first had to be laid through an area of arid desert.

Two recent major projects reconfirmed the Knorr-Bremse Group’s position as a leading supplier of rail vehicle braking and door systems

in the Australian market. As part of a ground-breaking project in Western Australia, Fortescue Metals Group (FMG) commissioned an

innovative, customized EPC braking system based on the EP 60 from New York Air Brake Corporation (NYAB) for transporting iron ore

on heavy freight trains. And on the other side of the continent in Sydney, Knorr-Bremse Australia signed a contract worth more than

€140 million, including a 30-year maintenance agreement, to provide braking equipment and IFE doors to leading Australian rail

vehicle manufacturer Downer EDI Rail.

Increased freight capacity with fewer trainsIt was not just for the mining process itself that FMG had to invest in innovative technologies – it also had to explore new ways of transporting heavy rail freight. Engineers developed wagons with an axle weight of more than 40 tons – enabling them to carry up to five tons more ore than the standard wagon design for the mining industry. FMG calculated that this would let them carry some 3 million more tons of ore per year without increasing the number of trains. However it also meant that a four-axle wagon, including its unladen weight of 23 tons, would weigh in at up to 160 tons!

EP 60 brakes for the world’s heaviest trainNew York Air Brake Corporation (NYAB) had the privilege of being involved in the impressive FMG project. Based in Water-town, New York, and part of the Knorr-Bremse Group since 1991, the company supplied electro-pneumatically controlled EPC brakes for the first 15 locomotives and 816 wagons. The EP 60 technology involved offers unrivalled response times, with the system transmitting the braking signal electronically from the locomotive to the brake control units on the wagons, so that the instruction to apply or release the brakes reaches all the wagons immediately. This also makes it possible to

No. 20 | July 2008

Maximum safety under the harshest of conditions

Computer image of the new suburban train

operate several locomotives within a single long train. The result is a consistent braking performance, stopping distances on average 40% shorter, reduced wear and tear and lower fuel consumption – all crucial parameters for heavy trains that are 2.5 kilometers in length and pull 200 wagons each carrying some 140 tons of iron ore. Safe, reliable and maintenance-friendlyThe FMG trains have to transport iron ore through the hot, dry desert terrain of Pilbara, where summer temperatures regularly exceed 32 °C and can hit peaks of 50 °C! Technical inspection and approval of the braking system took place in Port Hedland in De-cember 2007 – just as summer temperatures were hitting record peaks, but the EP 60 brake coped well with the conditions. As the world’s leading manufacturer of braking systems for rail and commercial vehicles, Knorr-Bremse has been pioneering the development, production and marketing of state-of-the-art braking systems for more than 100 years. With its unique me-chatronic design, the EP 60 developed by NYPD for FMG com-bines a high degree of reliability with maintenance-friendly de-sign and low operating costs – including real-time diagnostics. The last Cloudbreak wagons were ready to go into service one month ahead of the scheduled deadline of May 2008.

Customized concepts from a single sourceFor Knorr-Bremse the most important stage in the development of any braking system is the process of consultation with the customer over the design for a specific application. Special at-tention has to be paid to integrating the pneumatic, electrome-chanical and electronic elements into the overall brake control system. Prototypes are developed and subjected to type and system tests as well as endurance testing to ensure their suit-ability for day-to-day operation. Specialized test benches and equipment are available for checking the functionality of indi-vidual components and complete systems. The lengthy develop-ment process ends with formal series release.

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No. 20 | July 2008

Sydney: braking and door systems for 78 suburban trains

Leading Australian rail vehicle manufacturer Downer EDI Rail has commissioned Knorr-Bremse to develop, build, supply and maintain braking and door systems for 78 trains with a total of 626 cars. Including the maintenance contract, this large-scale project is worth a total of EUR 140 million.

Downer EDI Rail and its joint venture partner Hitachi, Japan, are building the new passenger trains for the Sydney suburban net-work and will be delivering the trains to the Reliance Rail con-sortium between 2010 and 2013. Reliance Rail won the contract for the public-private-partnership project initiated by the fed-eral state of New South Wales and will be supplying the vehicles to rail operator RailCorp. A 30-year through-life support contract was also secured by Downer EDI Rail. In addition, Heinz Hermann Thiele, Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Knorr-Bremse and Guy Wannop, CEO of Downer EDI Rail, also signed an agreement on further co-operation between the two companies.

“This is a huge achievement for Knorr-Bremse. As recently as 2000 we had very little presence on the Australian market, but today we are the clear market leader for braking and door sys-tems”, commented Board Member Dr. Dieter Wilhelm, Director at Knorr-Bremse AG.

The crucial factors that clinched the order were the positive ex-perience that OEM Downer EDI Rail already had with the Knorr-Bremse Group in previous joint projects, but also Knorr-Bremse‘s strong presence in Asia – the company opened its sixth plant in China early in October 2007. The new double-decker multiple units for Sydney will be designed by Downer EDI Rail, with the car bodies partially manufactured in China to the Australian de-sign and subsequently completed in Downer EDI Rail’s facilities in Australia.

Cloudbreak mega-project

By the end of 2008 the mine is scheduled to be producing 55 million tons annually – a figure that should double within two years. And in the long term, production is predicted to increase, with 200 million tons of iron ore being mined and shipped mainly to China.

The EP-60 Compact brake control system brings greater safety to freight trains

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No. 20 | July 2008

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Rail vehicle access systems are an important element in the product portfolio of

the on-board systems division, and Freinrail in France is actively expanding the

market for IFE doors.

Freinrail and IFE head for success

Access à la française

Every time you get into a metro or streetcar in Paris, Strasbourg, Bordeaux, Marseille or Nice, you are probably entering through a door manufactured by IFE Automatic Door Systems. The world’s leading supplier of complete access systems, this subsidiary of Knorr-Bremse Rail Vehicle Systems is responsible for equipping streetcars, urban trains, metros, passenger trains and high-speed trains all over the globe. Transport system operators and train manufacturers in France also rely heavily on the quality of IFE products – for example the S3 sliding doors, which set new standards of robustness and reliability.

Combining market presence with customer proximityThe Austrian company based in Waidhofen/Ybbs relies on vari-ous partners for operating its sales and service network within the international structures of Knorr-Bremse GmbH. In 2007 the strong market presence of IFE Automatic Door Systems in France led to a co-operative venture being set up with a Knorr-Bremse Group company that hitherto had operated in the braking sys-tem segment: Around the middle of last year, Freinrail Systèmes Ferroviaires started to build up an “IFE Doors team” in France.

Freinrail hopes that this innovative business idea will mean greater customer proximity on current projects and an expan-sion of aftermarket business for IFE. The success of such a pro-active business strategy is reflected in current levels of orders and positive market trends in the French rail segment: IFE has managed to steadily expand its market position in France, sell-ing almost 27,000 door systems. Now the company is working with Freinrail to establish local competence for sales, project management, customer service and quality assurance. IFE’s objective of installing local project engineers is to meet special market requirements in France more efficiently. The technical expertise will remain in the IFE Centre of Competence in Waid-hofen, with which the specialists in the Freinrail door team are closely cooperating.

Local specialists ensure genuine cus-tomer proximity Freinrail’s localized service has had a highly positive impact on IFE customers in France. After a mere nine months, the added value has become obvious:

n Rapid response, close to the customer: Freinrail carries out service activities at local level in France on behalf of IFE Door Systems.

n Optimized project management: Freinrail colleagues are supporting the IFE teams in projects for NAT-IDF, TTNG, MF2000 and Citadis.

n Positive reaction on the aftermarket: Freinrail has secured new service projects from the operators of Citadis streetcars.

n Spare parts: French customers benefit from local price structures.

Since June 2007, Freinrail Systèmes Ferroviaires has been actively involved in the on-board sector, providing support for French customers of

Knorr-Bremse’s Austrian division, IFE Automatic Door Systems. The main focus is on customer service and developing the aftermarket for IFE

access systems in France. The Freinrail field service for IFE doors is a successful co-operative venture between European sites and demonstrates

the effectiveness of the Knorr-Bremse Group.

Common infrastructure benefits customers worldwide

IFE access systems lead the market in France

IFE doors in operation, left to right: TTNG, NAT-IDF, MF2000, AGV, CITADIS, TRANSLOHR

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No. 20 | July 2008

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With China and Dubai currently investing large sums in upgrading their mass

transit systems, Knorr-Bremse is making an important contribution towards the

future of mobility in both countries with its distributed train braking systems and

state-of-the-art platform screen doors.

Westinghouse Platform Screen Doors (WPSD) and EP2002 brake control

Major new orders from China and Dubai

Guangzhou, the capital of Guangdong Province, is some two hours by train from Hong Kong. The Cantonese have a reputation for their dynamism, and signs of growth and expansion can be found all over this prosperous city. Twice a year, China‘s biggest export trade fair takes place in this 8 million metropolis, attracting large numbers of business visitors – possibly one of the reasons why news of the success of Knorr-Bremse’s products has spread from Guangzhou via Shanghai to the very north-east of China.

EP2002: decentralized braking systems for Guangzhou MetroIn February 2005, Knorr-Bremse was awarded the biggest ever single contract for braking systems for the Chinese mass transit market: All 750 cars operated by the Guangzhou Metro Corpora-tion were equipped with the innovative EP 2002 brake control system. As traffic density increases, so, too, do the demands made on braking systems for mass transit trains. The modular EP 2002 mechatronic braking system developed by the Knorr-Bremse Group had already been successfully used for several major metro systems such as London Underground. The latest generation is more compact, more effective and performs bet-ter than any comparable traditional braking system.

An EP 2002 brake control system consists of distributed, linked pressure control modules – so-called smart valves – that com-municate via a CAN Bus system. A module mounted on each bo-gie contains all the electronics and software for controlling the service brake, emergency brake and wheel slide protection sys-tem. The main features of the distributed brake control system are its compact design, high performance and economy of op-eration. Integration of the electronics and mechanical systems into a single component creates a local “intelligence”, meaning the brake responds faster and there is no need for complex ca-bling linking it to a central control unit.

Compact, flexible, high-performance, economical The result is greater flexibility for installing the braking system, more space, less weight, lower costs and fewer downtimes. The modular design cuts installation costs by more than 50% and at the same time reduces the risk of total system failure! Ve-hicle builders and operators are offered new scope for system configuration and parameterization: EP 2002 can be adapted to various different types of vehicle both at the planning stage and in daily use.

Knorr-Bremse Rail Vehicle Systems recently received a number of major new orders from China. Since 2005, the company has been

equipping Guangzhou metro with the EP2002 modular brake control system and Westinghouse platform screen doors. Westinghouse

is the Center of Competence for platform screen doors within the Knorr-Bremse Group and has recently received orders from three

further Chinese cities as well as becoming involved in a major project in Dubai.

Quality and safety – EP2002 offers considerable advantages for metro vehicles worldwide

Smart Valves EP2002

– Individually adaptable to every train or vehicle system

– Less piping and cabling thanks to bogie-mounted design

– More interior passenger space thanks to underfloor installation

– Intelligent brake manage-ment through distributed CAN Bus communication between individual units

– Load-dependent service/emergency brake on each bogie with wheel slide protection on each axle

– Shorter brake response times – Reduced lifecycle costs thanks

to improved maintenance and overhaul concept

– Greater vehicle availability through redundant control concept and shorter repair times

– Shorter project duration thanks to simplified approval procedures through use of standardized smart valves

– Effective error recognition and elimination thanks to diagnostic concept for entire train

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No. 20 | July 2008

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Attractive and secure metro platforms with WPSD door systemsIn addition to the order for distributed braking systems, a contract for platform screen door systems for Guangzhou Line 4 went to Westinghouse Platform Screen Doors – Knorr-Bremse’s Centre of Competence – in 2005. Platform Screen Doors (PSD) are glass constructions in metro stations that form a barrier between the platform and the track, protecting passengers on the platform from moving trains. A signal system ensures that the doors open and close at the same time as the train doors.

The use of full-height screen doors stretching from the ground to the ceiling not only makes platforms safer, quieter and cleaner – it also seals them off from the tunnel, reducing air turbulence as trains enter or leave the station. This enables the waiting area to be air-conditioned at much lower cost. Platform screen doors also make passengers feel more at home under ground, and their attractive design enhances the architecture of the platform area. But it is not just the passengers that benefit – metro operators find that the doors allow greater control of embarking and disembarking passengers and contribute to the smooth running of the system.

Design and technical expertise in platform screen doorsThe WPSD experts operate worldwide from two facilities that are closely linked with one another: the Knorr-Bremse Rail Systems site in Wiltshire, England was built in 2005 at a cost of more than €12.5 million, and the plant in Guangzhou, China came into operation at the start of 2006. WPSD won the latest multi-million euro orders from China and Dubai against stiff international competition – an indication of the growing global interest in the reliability and state-of-the-art technologies offered by WPSD platform screen doors. Westinghouse is constantly improving the technology of its door systems in order to offer customers an attractive product portfolio. One example is the modular design of the platform screen doors; and another innovative development is the half-height platform safety gates specially developed for above-ground metro stations. These offer the same advantages as full platform screen doors in terms of safety and passenger flow management. Westinghouse platform safety gates are already in operation in the above-ground stations on Guangzhou Metro.

In China, WPSD successfully tendered for three further major projects: it is to deliver and install 1,980 platform screen doors in Shanghai (Line 10) and 576 in Shenyang (Line 1) as well as 384 doors and 720 security barriers in Shenzhen (Line 3). Each of these projects is worth several million euros.

Superlative project: 1,100 platform screen doors for DubaiOf all the current WPSD projects for designing, building, installing and commissioning platform screen doors, the most spectacular one is in Dubai. At several million euros, the contract is the biggest ever received by WPSD from a single customer and at the same time breaks new ground: The company is to supply the very first platform screen door systems to be installed in the United Arab Emirates. The order for more than 1,100 door sets for platforms on the new metro in Dubai was given to WPSD by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI), the lead company in a consortium of companies from Japan, Turkey and Canada. Dubai Metro will go into operation on September 9, 2009 equipped with state-of-the-art technologies that include viaducts and automated, driverless trains – as well as fully air-conditioned platforms, thanks to platform screen door systems from Westinghouse!

Retrofitting platform screen doorsPlatform screen doors are now an accepted part of the infrastructure when new metros are being built around the globe. But Westinghouse systems can also be retrofitted to existing metro platforms without disrupting nor-mal services: installation can be carried out during the typical four-hour window in the early morning when traffic levels are low.

Media Wall for Platform Screen SystemsHigh resolution information displays can be mounted on the safety barriers to enhance the product. Such a media wall system can be used for advertising and passenger information but can also incorporate loudspeakers and security cameras. All types of media can be fed in from various different sources in real-time.

Pioneering

The first platform screen doors installed by WPSD in a major metro system in South-east Asia was for Sin-gapore Mass Rapid Transit (MRT), which has operated the main public transport network in the Singapore urban area since 1987. Even before the latest order from Dubai, WPSD platform screen doors were already in operation in all parts of the world: in China (Bei-jing, Guangzhou, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Shenzhen), Denmark (Copenhagen), France (Toulouse, Roissy), Greece (Thessaloniki), Italy (Brescia), Malaysia (Kuala Lumpur), Singapore (Bishan, Circle Line, North East Line and SMRT) and the UK (London Underground Jubilee Line).

WPSD has installed some 17,000 door sets worldwide – providing protective barriers for 80,000 meters of platform!

Safely embarking and disembarking in busy urban conditions in China

Innovative platform screen doors in Singapore

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No. 20 | July 2008

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Knorr-Bremse has received another order from Polish train manufacturer PESA to

equip 23 new multiple units as part of an export project.

Safety and comfort standards for drivers and passengers in multiple units

Quality knows no frontiers

Almost a third of the Italian rail network is still served by regional trains, with more than 30 private train companies operating some 3,000 km of track in various parts of Italy, some of which have very few lines run by the Italian state railway company Rete Ferroviaria Italia. One such private operator is Ferrovie del Sud-Est (FSE) based in Bari, the capital of the region of Apulia. In addition to operating buses, the FSE runs diesel multiple units on some 500 km of track along the southern Adriatic right down to the tip of Italy from Bari to Taranto and from Lecce across the Salento peninsula to Otranto and Gallipoli. The small private train operators in Apulia that formed FSE in 1930 still run historic locomotives mainly on single track lines through the picturesque landscape of southern Italy.

23 new diesel multiple units for FSE BariIn 2006 FSE ordered 13 new diesel multiple units from the Polish company PESA Bydgoszcz SA. The pre-production model of the 3-car diesel multiple unit ATR220 will be delivered to Bari in 2008. In March 2008, FSE also confirmed its contractual option on delivery of a further 10 multiple units by mid 2009. For this major export order worth a total of €4.5 million, PESA is once again relying on the state-of-the-art technologies and expertise of Knorr-Bremse.

Innovative, reliable and customized systems2007 saw Knorr-Bremse sign the first contract to supply equipment to PESA for 11 multiple units ordered by PKP PR. In 2008 three further electric multiple units will be supplied to Polish operator PKP PR under an option agreement. The success and subsequent expansion of co-operation with the Eastern European rail vehicle manufacturer confirmed Knorr-Bremse’s corporate philosophy of “high reliability and solutions tailored to customers’ wishes”. For Knorr-Bremse it was a new challenge to offer innovative technologies at competitive prices for specific installation requirements, operating conditions and fields of use.

Knorr-Bremse and PESA – a close partnership

In cooperation with rail vehicle manufacturers PESA, Knorr-Bremse is equipping multiple units for Italian rail operator FSE. The

contract includes the EP Compact electro-pneumatic brake control system, bogie equipment, compressed air modules and additional

systems such as toilets, sanding systems and windscreen wiper and washer systems.

Toilet system EP Compact Sanding

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No. 20 | July 2008

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railservices has speeded up freight car overhaul with a new concept for faster

completion of work on distributor valves.

Rapid replacement service

KE-distributor valves Economic considerations are bringing about change in an area of crucial importance to operators and vehicle manufacturers alike. The pressure of competition and costs makes it essential for ve-hicle servicing to be organized as efficiently as possible. Locomo-tives and rolling stock should spend as little time as possible in the repair shop and as much as possible on the track. The process of servicing, overhauling and repairing braking systems is there-fore high on the strategic agenda: short throughput times for regular servicing ensure high levels of vehicle availability.

Safety and economy are a priority for all Knorr-Bremse products, and KE-distributor valves are not only characterized by their high quality and compact design – as plug and play components with low life-cycle costs they can be immediately installed in rail vehicles at minimum cost. The KE-distributor valve is the com-monest used for freight trains, with about half a million units currently in operation in Europe.

With the introduction of railservices, Knorr-Bremse Systeme für Schienenfahrzeuge GmbH has established itself as a provider of

first-class repair and maintenance services throughout Europe. Behind railservices lies a wealth of OEM expertise, a highly efficient

infrastructure and a consistent customer focus. Now Knorr-Bremse’s mission to help customers meet market challenges is further

reflected in its new logistics service for selected replacement components such as the KE-distributor valve.

New!

Rapid, competent and professional replacement of KE-valves

Service: the crucial success factor. Time is of the essence How quickly a vehicle can be turned around during overhaul, servicing or repair depends to a large extent on the availabil-ity of spare parts – a crucial issue for both manufacturers and operators. Knorr-Bremse has developed a solution designed to fully meet customers’ requirements. With its new crate concept, the company offers customers short replacement times, high availability and low logistics and inventory costs. Any time spent waiting for spare or replacement parts during vehicle servicing means unnecessary delay in getting it back in opera-tion. By making parts instantly available, the crate concept can significantly shorten the internal/external procurement process, simplifying spare part and repair shop time management and avoiding interruptions to the repair process.

Instant availability of components – “in and out of the crate”Servicing a vehicle calls for short distances and rapid availability of OE components. This is where the railservices crate concept offers a modern approach to spares parts logistics: a delivery service brings the spare parts directly to the customer in advance, regularly delivering wire mesh crates containing refurbished distributor valves in OE quality. The customer takes out the parts that he needs and replaces each one with an identical part that has been removed from the vehicle. As required, the customer asks the delivery service to collect the crate and is subsequently invoiced for any parts that have been removed.

The left hand crate contains refurbished KE-valves in OE quality ready for installation. Agreed quantities of valves are regularly delivered to the customer’s repair shop and exchanged for valves that have been removed from vehicles (right hand crate). Knorr-Bremse is responsible for delivery and uplift.

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No. 20 | July 2008

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Crate concept: keeping pace with the times

Informer: railservices sets global standards for maintenance and spares parts logistics for rail vehicles. What role does the crate con-cept play?

Eric Fritzsche: The crate con-cept is a new, innovative service developed by Knorr-Bremse for the aftermarket. It is used for exchanging distributor valves during the course of main-tenance work on freight car brakes. As such it fits perfectly into the railservices philosophy that we have been successfully implementing for years.

Informer: What is so innovative about the crate concept?

Eric Fritzsche: The crate concept enables us to drastically reduce the amount of time a vehicle is out of operation for replacement of distributor valves. It represents a milestone in terms of flexi-bility and performance for our customers.

Informer: So the crate concept not only makes things easier for the repair shop – it actually saves money?

Eric Fritzsche: Absolutely. The speed with which a vehicle can be overhauled or serviced and returned into productive operation depends ultimately on the availability of OE parts. We’ve already achieved a lot in this respect with our efficient logistics concepts:

modern satellite warehouses, online access to every single spare part wherever it is stored in the world – and last but not least, immediate availability of the 2,000 or so most heavily used parts. Now the crate con-cept also makes replacement

valves immediately available to our customers. From the point of view of a repair shop this means that what they need here and now is available here and now, in the right quantity and in top-quality – which is particularly important in the case of such a safety-critical valve.

Informer: What manufacturers or operators can benefit from the system?

Eric Fritzsche: When we piloted the crate concept it proved very popular with customers. Now we want to market the service on a broad basis. There is already huge interest in it, particularly amongst medium-sized and large scale repair shops. Of course individual discussions and planning will be required, and we

have already installed a team of specialists at our Munich site to serve local customers in col-laboration with regional sales departments. So we’re well pre-pared for a positive response.

Informer: Mr. Fritzsche, thank you for talking to us.

Eric Fritzsche is responsible for aftermarket sales development at Knorr-Bremse Systeme für Schienenfahrzeuge GmbH.

Interview Is your repair shop ready for the crate concept?

Ask for more information on the crate concept n Shorter throughput times for servicing KE distributor valves

n No administrative work ordering individual valves

n Modern logistics for greater economy

We will be happy to answer all your questions rapidly and efficiently. Please feel free to contact:

Eric FritzscheTel: +49 89 3547-1852 eric.fritzsche@knorr-bremse.com

Knorr-Bremse Global Care e.V. was set up in January 2005 following the South East Asia tsunami disaster on December 26, 2004. The charitable association is dedicated to providing long-term aid to individuals who are in need as a result of environmental catastrophes, accidents, armed conflict, poverty or disease. Practical implementation of projects is actively supervised by mem-bers of Knorr-Bremse staff. The association receives an annual donation of € 1 mill ion from the Knorr-Bremse Group. Additional information about Knorr-Bremse Global Care e.V. can be found at: www.global-care.knorr-bremse.com.

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