Bayonet connectors meet European Rail Agency requirements

The specific TSI requirements for safety in railway tunnels help ensure rail passengers can evacuate a train during the event of a fire. In order to enhance passenger safety, ITT combined the reliable coupling mechanism design of its CIR series with modified materials and specifications to meet the stringent fire code standards.

In order to allow the train driver to move the train from the site of the fire, connectors are a primary source of power distribution on trains which must continue to work for a minimum of 15 minutes if exposed to the ISO 834-1 heating curve (at 738°C).

Guenter Schall, Director of Product Management, Interconnect Solutions Transportation & Industrial business, ITT, comments: “With more than 60 years of experience in delivering ruggedised and customised interconnect solutions to the rail market, ITT understands the critical role connectors play in rail safety. Achieving the high standards of the ERA’s TSI requirements is not easy, but through a stainless steel shell and an innovative ceramic insulator, we have provided a customised design that will protect the vital components of rail critical applications.”

“ITT has the knowledge and experience with high-precision connectors designed for highly engineered critical components. During testing at independent laboratories, the high-temperature HTB connector was successfully able to withstand 800°C for 30 minutes while maintaining critical control signals, exceeding the standard 15 minutes set by the requirements of the TSI,” adds Gary Ashurst, Vice President and General Manager, Interconnect Solutions Transportation and Industrial business, ITT.

ITT will highlight other products at InnoTrans, including the Power Platform System, in Hall 10.1, Stand 216. This custom and highly engineered multi-pole power interconnection system is suitable for multiple applications such as railcar to bogie, braking equipment, inter-vehicle, power conversion and distribution. With a compact design, the connectors withstand harsh weather conditions and support a high performance in operating voltage.