EuropTec USA, part of the wider EuropTec Group owned by the Swiss Glas Tröesch Group, will make its inaugural appearance at APTA’s TRANSform Conference & EXPO in Chicago this October. As its first trade show appearance in the US, this will in effect be the company’s formal introduction to an industry that’s already buying from it.
EuropTec USA’s Chicago operation already supplies both Siemens and Stadler in the US. This work was awarded off the back of Glas Tröesch’s long-established reputation in Europe, which gave the fledgling US operation credibility with customers before it had built a domestic track record of its own.
Buy America requirements had pushed the two European-headquartered manufacturers, both with an established American presence, to look for an alternative domestic supplier. Having an established relationship with the EuropTec Group, these customers encouraged the manufacturer to set up a US business that would enable their partnership to continue.
When EuropTec USA initially took on this work, it still had to import units from its Swiss headquarters. Last year work began on a production site in Chicago, to which the company has already added dedicated sales and programme management, and is currently working on expanding the site’s footprint.
Daniel Plotnick, Vice President of Sales at EuropTec USA, said:We’re essentially a start-up if you look at the acceleration of our company, but we’ve been lucky to have a lot of help from our partners.
While the company’s US work currently centres on Amtrak and other commuter services, Plotnick says the ambition is to expand into light rail and other rail platforms over time.
Specialist Rail Glazing Solutions
EuropTec USA offers a wide range of glazing solutions for the rail industry, with products engineered to withstand impact and vandalism at speed. Its core strength lies in delivering tailored solutions that precisely meet individual customer requirements, spanning windscreens, side windows, cab glass and interior glazing for railway vehicles.
Windscreens are manufactured by Glas Tröesch in Switzerland and supplied to the US market through EuropTec USA, passenger windows meanwhile, are made at the company’s own Chicago facility, which is currently its focus for domestic production.
Glas Tröesch’s windshield heating systems are designed to maintain operational reliability in demanding climatic conditions, while its splinter protection technologies are built to meet high safety requirements and protect train drivers at extreme travel speeds.
Spherical bending techniques allow for curved, aerodynamic front-end glazing rather than flat panels, a key requirement for high-speed train design, while framing systems are built to cut the time it takes to replace a windscreen, a detail that matters to any operator managing a fleet against a fixed service schedule. All of this is available to the US market through EuropTec USA as Glas Tröesch’s American representative.
Production also includes digital printing and primer application on the glass itself, used for markings, branding and surface preparation ahead of bonding. But as well as new-build glazing for trainsets in production, EuropTec USA’s work also spans aftermarket supply, including custom parts for existing fleets.
Currently this includes providing custom compressive stress (CS) parts for Siemens.
Only One of Its Kind in America
EuropTec’s US rail operation is built around a certification that makes it unique in the American market: EN 17460, the European standard for structural adhesive bonding of rail vehicles.
Achieving this took close to two years, working alongside a senior bonding expert from Siemens. Certification involved a formal on-site audit, where experts from the TechnologieCentrum Kleben (TC-Kleben GmbH) spent two days assessing the operation.
Daniel Plotnick, Vice President of Sales at EuropTec USA, said:Siemens has been instrumental in us forming a world-class team of bonders, and we're currently the only company in America that holds this bonding standard.
Visit EuropTec USA at APTA Conference
Thanks to the Buy America Act and the federal money being put into US rail, EuropTec USA is looking ahead to new opportunities and is currently evaluating and bidding for further contracts.
Plotnick will be on the stand at APTA’s TRANSform Conference & EXPO alongside William Renz, EuropTec USA’s Sales and Rail Program Manager, plus two visiting leaders from Glas Tröesch’s rail division in Switzerland: Yves Suppinger, Director of Sales, and Sven Aenishanslin, CEO. Plotnick invites anyone with an interest in the company or its products to stop by for an informal chat.
The show runs from 4 -7 October at McCormick Place in Chicago, where EuropTec USA can be found on stand number 115.
This article was originally published by EuropTec USA
