SET4FUTURE Innovation Award for Pantograph Platform

We have been awarded a SET4FUTURE Innovation Award 2022 for a pantograph platform made of carbon fiber reinforced plastic (CFRP).

The 3804mm x 2508mm component is part of the roof of a high-speed train and is manufactured in a single step. This has several advantages: There is no need for cost-intensive welding work, which also leads to thermal distortion of the component in conventional construction methods. Likewise, no welding fixtures have to be built. The platform is mounted on the roof with an elastic thick-film adhesive.

The component has proven its operational stability under more than 10 million load cycles on the test rig. Compared with an aluminum version, it is 30 percent lighter. Despite this reduction in mass, sound absorption has been further improved. The material structures used have been successfully qualified in accordance with EN 45545.

Production is carried out by means of laser-assisted deposition of CNC-machined scrim blanks and subsequent consolidation using the VARI process (Vacuum Assisted Resin Infusion). Due to the sandwich construction, the thermal insulation is directly integrated.