Plastics technology center Aimplas says that the European MAT4RAIL project has been completed.
The project involves developing new materials and components and reduce the weight of railway vehicles by replacing metal structural components with lighter ones made of composite materials, as well as increasing vehicle capacity and passenger comfort by using smart modular interior design.
Aimplas’ role was to develop new hybrid resin formulations with improved resistance to flame propagation for use in fiber-reinforced polymers. According to the organization, results are promising and the new formulations are expected to be of use in other sectors such as construction, the automotive industry and aeronautics.
The project also covered ways to improve specific regulations on calculating fatigue requirements for trams. The work involved participating in processes to standardize the design and calculation of trams by means of sensor monitoring. Joins between dissimilar materials (composites and metals) were evaluated with the aim of improving them.
Aimplas says that MAT4RAIL also looked into modifying the design of cabins and seats to create the cabin of the future by incorporating new technologies and communication systems.
This story uses material from Aimplas, with editorial changes made by Materials Today. The views expressed in this article do not necessarily represent those of Elsevier.
