Customers and suppliers alike usually consider that a good relationship is vital in any successful long-term supply chain, something that is beneficial at all stages of the production cycle. A factor that has been recognised by Newag S.A. – a Polish company specialising in manufacturing and maintaining rail vehicles within Europe who has looked to EMKA group for some fifteen years, for supply of locking systems, gaskets, and emergency hammers, for use on its trains and trams in for both standard and custom design products.

Finding the right supplier can be difficult, and so, as in other important relationships in life, once you have found a good one, you tend to stay with them. Explains Sebastian Smoleń – Head of Strategic Purchases at Newag “The outstanding quality and reliability of the products, as well as the excellent customer service, make EMKA the ideal partner when it comes to safety and comfort on the rails. Our successful cooperation underlines EMKA’s expertise and innovative strength in the field of gasketing and locking systems for the railway industry. EMKA components contribute decisively to the optimisation of our rail vehicles.”

And there were lots to choose from in rail-related standard hardware, since the EMKA product catalogue includes appropriate quarter turns, compression latches, multi-point locking systems, hinges, gaskets, and emergency hammers. The key requirements were high durability and reliability of the components under extreme operating conditions and compliance with the particularly high safety standards in rail transportation systems. In addition, their close relationship enabled the engineers at EMKA to adapt and customise as required to suit specific project needs.

Various EMKA products have been installed in the Newag Group’s trains, including stainless steel compression latches (with “square 8” insertion key), fire protection gaskets and edge protections, emergency hammers with hand protection, and anti-theft brackets. The compression latches for use in rail transport have successfully completed shock and vibration resistant tests compliant with DIN EN 61373. Locking systems with colour markings make it particularly easy to identify the locking position. If required, the latches can be equipped with visual opening indicators such as flaps and lids, that are clearly visible when a latch is not locked. They are therefore easy to operate and fail-safe. The fire protection gaskets for rail transport are manufactured in EMKA’s own factory. Not only is this factory certified according to ISO 9001 and IATF 16949, but also has an in-house test laboratory. These gaskets fulfil the current fire protection standards and also withstand the stresses in hazardous areas. Strict safety regulations apply to fire protection, especially for trains travelling through tunnels and over bridges. The emergency hammer with hand protection is made of glass fibre-reinforced plastic, which meets all the prescribed fire safety regulations. It is certified in accordance with DIN EN 45545-2 HL3. The hammer’s hardened steel tip easily breaks reinforced safety glass, laminated safety glass and insulating glass panes, thus quickly creating an escape route in an emergency. The EMKA emergency hammer holder has a concealed anti-theft device.

For the future an approval process is currently underway for the new “Griffin” locomotive from Newag, which also uses EMKA’s locking systems and gaskets. The “Griffin” is the first Polish locomotive to reach a speed of 240 km/h. This requires a higher load capacity for all components. It is then expected that the “Griffin” locomotive will be used on lines in Poland, Germany, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, and Hungary. Read more………