Vibration isolation rail vehicle construction

Discover our solutions for the vibration isolation of wagon floors

In rail vehicle construction, the aim is to increase ride comfort and reduce the life cycle costs of rolling stock and rail carriages. Getzner offers special solutions for the bearing of wagon and carriage floors and various components such as air-conditioning units and sanitary modules.

Floating floors for rolling stock from Getzner efficiently isolate vibrations in rolling stock. Uneven running surfaces, corrugated rails and the drive motors place considerable stress on the rail carriage components. This is perceived as disruptive noise by passengers and personnel. The bogie absorbs part of the disruptive frequencies from the vehicle's undercarriage. The remaining vibrations, however, move the floor construction and cause it to vibrate. This is perceived as vibrating surfaces and secondary airborne noise. The use of Getzner materials Sylomer® and Sylodyn® in rail vehicle construction better protects the rail carriage interior against undesired vibrations and noise during the journey.

Fewer vibrations inside the rail carriage not only make journeys considerably more pleasant for passengers and train staff, but structural vibrations are also reduced significantly. Elastic floating floors for rolling stock therefore also protect joints, electronic components and sanitary facilities. Isolating vibrations and thus reducing their effects drastically lowers life cycle costs as well as maintenance and repair work for rail carriage operators. The greater efficiency of elastic floor bearings also reduces the height of floor constructions in wagon construction. During installation the materials compensate for both longitudinal and lateral tolerances in the bare floor, without affecting the vibration isolation properties in any way.

You benefit from our floating floors for rolling stock in the following ways

Vibration and noise reduction that remains consistently effective throughout the entire service life
Lower installation costs as less time and fewer staff are needed
EN 45545-2 certification for maximum safety
Materials available internationally for secure production flows
Low material weight optimised for lightweight construction

Fire protection in rail vehicle construction

Requirements for the fire protection of materials are increasing and are of particularly high importance in rail vehicle construction. For this reason, the tried-and-tested Sylomer® types have been equipped with fire-retardant properties while retaining the exceptional damping characteristics of the material. Sylomer® FR performs excellently in a fire and meets a number of international fire protection standards. It complies with standard DIN EN 45545-2, among others, and has a hazard level (HL) 3 rating for floor constructions in rail vehicle construction. No halogenated fire protection agents or toxic substances are used when manufacturing Sylomer® FR and the materials are ROHS-compliant. An international network of sales partners guarantees global availability for wagon and carriage construction.

Other applications in rail vehicle construction

Vibrations and noise generated by other sources of disturbance such as air-conditioning units can also be decoupled in an efficient manner with Sylomer®, Sylodyn® or Isotop elements during wagon and carriage construction.

However, in rail vehicle construction there are even more possible applications. Getzner has developed a solution for protecting sensitive goods for transport in freight cars. Thanks to their combined spring/damper properties, wear-resistant PU mats made from Sylomer® offer optimum protection against shocks and impacts. This means, for example, that steel coils for the automotive industry can now be transported by rail without affecting the outermost sheet metal layers, reducing waste and costs significantly.

The different applications at a glance:

Elastic floor bearings for passenger trains on local, regional and intercity routes. Be it for underground, tramway, commuter or high-speed trains, floating floors for rolling stock are used in all possible types of rail vehicle.
Bearing of individual vehicle components and equipment (e.g. decoupling of air-conditioning units)
Bearing of vehicle areas: Driver's cab, occupied areas in locomotives, first class rail carriages, bathrooms, etc.
Vibration isolation of electronic equipment in measurement vehicles
Transport protection for steel coils on freight cars

Our solutions for rolling stock impress as follows

The noise level in rail carriage interiors is reduced by up to 7dBA.
Vibrations in the rail carriage are reduced by up to 20 dB.
Ride comfort is improved for passengers and train staff.
The service life of rolling stock and installed components is extended.
Installation and height compensation during wagon and carriage construction is facilitated by pre-assembly on prefabricated floor panels.
Prevention of transport damage and costly material waste is significantly improved compared to conventional solutions with rubber products.