Modification of VMK Railway compressors to screw compressors
The braking system of VMK type trains is pneumatic and requires compressed air. Damaged ABK 0.65 compressors are unavailable in our market, which is why we decided to produce the train’s braking system locally.
We used the existing casing and installed a ROTORCOM (Germany) block inside it, connected it to an electric motor, and controlled it with a control panel. The result has been achieved; 6 compressors have been working flawlessly for 9 years and undergo scheduled maintenance.
The challenge
The braking system of VMK-type trains is pneumatic and runs on compressed air. The original ABK 0.65 compressors had failed, and replacements turned out to be unavailable on our market.
There were two alternatives: wait for delivery on an uncertain timeline, or build a solution locally.
The solution — locally built modernisation
We used the existing housing and fitted a ROTORCOM (Germany) screw block inside it, coupled it to the electric motor and controlled it from a control panel.
Why a screw block instead of a piston machine
The original ABK was a piston compressor. Moving to a screw block was not a like-for-like replacement but a qualitative improvement: a screw machine has far fewer moving parts, with no piston rings or valves, and therefore fewer wear components.
The second reason is vibration. A train is a moving, vibrating platform, and a piston machine is itself a source of vibration, while a screw machine runs far more smoothly. The third is duty: a screw block is designed for continuous operation, which is critical for a braking system.
Keeping the existing housing let us mount the unit in the same place on the carriage, on the same brackets, without altering the carriage structure.
The result — nine years
Six compressors have been running without interruption for nine years, with scheduled maintenance.
A non-standard task
If replacements for your equipment are no longer available, tell us and we will look at whether a local solution is possible. See our service and spare parts.
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