Automotive

United Electronic Industries (UEI) has announced its new line of EtherCAT compliant I/O cubes. The DNA-ECAT series of I/O chassis is based on UEI’s popular DNA-series Cubes, but includes a new CPU module specifically designed to run as an EtherCAT slave. The DNA-ECAT offers all the I/O flexibility of the DNA Cubes, including compatibility with over 60 different I/O boards.

  Moroccan rail operator, ONCF, has placed an order with SKF for the delivery of 15,000 railway wheelset bearings over a period of three years for both passenger and freight rolling stock. SKF was chosen because it was the only supplier who could meet the client’s strict technical specifications while being in a position to deliver ready-certified railway bearings on a lead time of three months.

The TCQ series conductive polymer chip capacitors from AVX has been added to the Rutronik portfolio. These robust capacitors are designed for demanding automotive applications. Qualified to the Automotive Electronics Council’s AEC-Q200 specification for passive components, the TCQ Series meets the AEC’s challenging 125°C lifetime stability test and humidity bias testing at 85°C and 85% relative humidity for up to 1,000 hours.

  Electronics parts supplier based in Germany, KOA has introduced two new series of four terminal current shunts for high current applications.

Sheffield engineering firm, SCX, is supporting Westinghouse Platform Screen Doors (WPSD), a division of Knorr-Bremse UK Rail, in optimising the installation of their platform screen system on the Crossrail project. The mechanical handling rig, devised by SCX Special Projects’ engineers for rail systems contractor Knorr-Bremse, has helped to transform the installation process and generate significant benefits. SCX worked closely with WPSD to...

  Developer, manufacturer and distributor of electrical and electronic connectors, network components, pre-assembled system cables, and backplane assemblies, the HARTING Technology Group, has received an award for exceptional quality from rail manufacturer Hitachi Rail.

Provider of mobile communications systems, Cobham Wireless, has reported that commuters are frustrated with the state of mobile signal reception on train journeys up and down the UK. Results of a national online survey indicate that 52% of passengers are prevented from working some of the time during their commute, potentially stopping them from being able to check emails, stay in touch with clients and colleagues or access files remotely.

Despite a drop in reported incidents, cable theft is still causing major delays to the rail network according to British Transport Police’s crime stats for 2016/17 (published this month). A study of the data by VPS Site Security shows that cable theft is still occurring five times a week. The BTP Authority, who oversee the transport police force, also records the subsequent delays and disruptions to passengers was 23,670 minutes. This ...

The national railway company of France, SNCF, has granted final homologation for the use of NSK wheelset bearings for TGV very high-speed trains. This confirmation is the culmination of a five-year project that has seen NSK engineers liaise closely with SNCF to ensure that exact requirements could be met. Although NSK already received similar approvals in Japan, China and Korea, it is the first time that the company has received a homologati...

  It has been announced that Perpetuum will be exhibiting at the forthcoming AusRAIL PLUS event in Brisbane, Australia from the 21st-23rd November 2017.