Integrated solutions can help train manufacturers reduce production lead times, manpower and costs, write Andrea Senese and Rosario Caltabiano from the Euroguarco Group.
As the most sustainable form of large-scale transport, it’s great to see a growing number of rail projects getting the green light.
New technology is incentivising passengers and supporting sustainable transport goals, but more routes mean more trains, and many manufacturers are struggling to meet the demand for new units.
A key way to ease this pressure is to reduce production lead times, which will speed up the roll out of new EMUs – but how can this be achieved?
We believe the answer lies with moving to pre-fitted, integrated solutions.
The rail industry needs to take a leaf from its automotive counterpart, where preassembly is the accepted method. As many components as possible are preassembled before being brought together on one final assembly line, dramatically speeding up the production process.
How Pre-fitted, Integrated Solutions Can Reduce Train Production Times
The rail industry might not be ready for this level of preassembly just yet, but organisations, such as the Euroguarco Group, are helping to move it in the right direction.
The coming together of Euroguarco, Intersys and Eurorail under the umbrella of the Euroguarco Group has enabled the companies to consolidate their experience and skills to create synergies that have led to new concepts and integrated solutions.
Working in partnership with S.B.F. Engineering, the group elevates these companies from suppliers to solutions providers that work together to provide customers with single, integrated and customised train interior solutions for flooring, lighting and ceilings.
First, engineers come together to develop the bespoke solution, working closely with the customer throughout. Next comes production and packaging and finally delivery, which includes organisation of transport documentation and the transport itself.
Solutions can be installed in one sitting, saving huge swathes of time by removing the need to deliver and fit single components separately – up to 80% in the case of a Trenitalia double decker integrated floor we’re supplying – and provides additional benefits down the line.
This is because you can’t work on the walls, electricity, pipes etc until your flooring is in place. The sooner you can complete this piece of work, the sooner you can move onto other aspects of installation.
Multiply these benefits with those gained from other integrated solutions, such as lighting and ceilings, and you can begin to see how overall train production times could be rapidly reduced. This, in turn, provides additional benefits to manufacturers in the form of reduced manpower and costs.
Challenges Ahead
The biggest challenge facing the move to integrated solutions is changing the minds of those who make the purchasing decisions. Understandably, some purchasing departments may baulk at the higher upfront cost, but that’s because they’re not taking a holistic, 3600 view of the production process and can’t clearly see how the time – and therefore manpower and cost savings – will provide a better return on their original investment.
Our goal at Euroguarco is to showcase the benefits of moving to integrated solutions. We’re doing this by sharing our own experiences to demonstrate the time, manpower and costs reductions they can bring.
If the rail industry is going to achieve its true potential as the mainstay of a sustainable public transport network, then the industry needs to embrace integrated solutions or manufacturers simply won’t be able to keep up with demand. A failure to adopt new ways of working will result in lost opportunities and avoidable expenditure.
Change takes time, but it’s essential if rail wants to lead the way. We’re therefore keen to hear from those willing become early adopters of integrated solutions, gain the competitive advantage and speed up their production times.
Members of the Euroguarco Group
- Euroguarco S.p.a has more than 60 years’ experience working across a number of industries. Its rail division was launched in 2011 and offers engineering and production of lightweight solutions for major rolling stock manufacturers. This includes air ducting systems, insulating materials and solutions and interiors components.
- Intersys S.r.l. provides rail companies with a range of solutions from internal LED lighting systems, outdoor headlights and electronic and pneumatic management and control systems for toilets through to pantograph control systems and mechanical electronic control systems for internal and external doors.
- Eurorail S.r.l. is a start-up founded in 2020 by Euroguarco S.p.a. and S.B.F. Engineering S.r.l.. In just a few years it has become a reference supplier providing innovative flooring systems in addition to producing sandwich panels, ceilings and external and internal panelling,
- S.B.F. Engineering S.r.l. is la leading Italian engineering company with a focus on the rail sector. Launched in 1998 with a focus on mechanical engineering, it has now expanded to also offer the design of pneumatic and electrical systems in addition to technical support.
To find out more about the Euroguarco Group and how its pre-fitted, integrated solutions could speed up your production times, please visit www.euroguarco.com or call +39 0187 562611.
