Engineered Polymer Sleeper

• The objective: an ecological compound sleeper that combines the positive features of wooden and existing plastic sleepers​
• Increased safety thanks to the incorporation of reinforcement (as with concrete sleepers)​
• Initial market situation: planned creosote ban for wooden sleepers in Europe – unfortunately postponed for 2 years​
• Further motivations for the development: “enabling green mobility”​
• Confidence in own competencies & abilities: interaction during wheel-rail contact & Technology Centre in Werdohl for all test scenarios

Sustainability​

• Scheduled creosote ban in Europe: environmentally friendly alternative to wooden sleepers without any use restriction​
• Use of secondary raw materials in industrial quality​
• 100% recyclable & resource-saving​
• Preservation of the tree population​
• Consistent material quality ​
• High weather resistance (UV resistance, no moisture absorption) for applications in extreme, humid climate conditions​
• Long service life

Operational safety​

• Defined & consistent properties over the whole service life​
• Low coefficient of thermal expansion​
• High lateral track set stability & stable gauge:​
  
  • High anchoring pull-out forces​
  • Increased safety due to the use of reinforcement (as with concrete sleepers)​
  • High electrical resistance ​
  • High lateral sleeper resistance

Economical & eco-friendly sleeper alternative for track, switches & bridges

• 150+ test characteristics were identified​
• About 330 in-house trials were carried out to achieve the optimum material compound that satisfies the international standards ​and customer requirements​
• Investigation of the impact of environmental temperatures on mechanical properties ​
• Participation in the ISO and AREMA standardization committee for plastic sleepers: findings can be applied to the sleeper definition, and changes in the standards can be integrated in the product design at an early stage.

• Wide range of application from urban transport to heavy haul already possible; focus for the future: safe deployment in tunnels​
• No restrictions regarding design and moulding​
• Mixing ratio and sleeper shape as well as the positioning and type of reinforcement can be adapted to application-specific specifications​
• Combination with various rail fastening systems, also including W-systems​
  
  • Apart from the indirect fastening, the material and the production are excellently suited for direct fastening applications.

For an accelerated / simplified installation process

• Customers can choose between different rail fastening solutions – direct or indirect including safety guard:​
  
  • For W systems, the bead can be prefabricated for direct fastening.​
  • For switch designs: indirect fastening including guide rail and safety gear is also possible.​
• Non-slip profiling with millimetre-precise embossing from two to five mm in height​
• Tried and tested processing options: drilling, sawing, milling and grinding​
• Prefabrication of the core holes for the sleeper screws: with and without tread, also inclined by 5°​
• Adaptable sleeper geometry (length, height, width)