Tag: manufacture (Page 2 of 3)

Talgo Announces Hydrogen Train Will Be Ready In 2023

December 31, 2020 / WIL BALDWIN

Talgo has announced the timetable for the manufacture and launch of its hydrogen train, a green, innovative and efficient alternative to replacing diesel engines, which will be ready in 2023. The train will be named Talgo Vittal-One, as a reference to the place of the hydrogen in the periodic table, the first one. The details were presented during the event “Renewable hydrogen: an opportunity for Spain”, organised by the Spanish Ministry for the Ecological Transition and the Demographic challenge.

The first phase of the validation tests of the hydrogen technology will be conducted in 2021. After the validation process, the hydrogen technology will be installed in the new train during a second manufacturing phase that will take place between 2021 and 2023.

The company’s CEO, José María Oriol, stated during his presentation: “Green hydrogen is no longer the future, it is a reality. The implementation of hydrogen trains, such as the one Talgo is developing, will improve mobility in our country and have a positive impact on the environment. It will allow us to make the most of the non-electrified Spanish railways while reducing our carbon footprint”.

This system is configured as a modular solution that can be installed on all types of trains, as well as in upgrades from diesel to hydrogen. However, it has been specifically designed for the Vittal platform for Commuter and Regional trains, which Talgo has presented in the bidding process for various tenders in Spain and other countries.

Boeing Licenses Ultraviolet Wand to Healthe to Counter COVID-19

September 22, 2020 / WIL BALDWIN

Boeing [NYSE: BA] entered into a patent and technology license with Florida-based Healthe® Inc. today under which Healthe will manufacture an ultraviolet (UV) wand designed to sanitize airplane interiors. Boeing designed and developed the UV wand as part of the company’s Confident Travel Initiative (CTI) to support customers and enhance the safety and well-being of passengers and crews during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“The UV wand is designed to be more effective than similar devices. It quickly disinfects surfaces on an airplane and further strengthens other layers of protection for passengers and crew,” said Mike Delaney, who leads Boeing’s CTI efforts. “Boeing spent six months transforming an idea for the wand into a working model, and Healthe will now take that prototype and make it available to the world at large.”

Healthe will produce and distribute the commercial wand, helping airlines and potentially others combat the coronavirus pandemic. The technology could be available for airlines in late fall. The device is an addition to sanitizing and protective measures already in place, which include the use of high-efficiency particulate air filters that trap more than 99.9% of particulates and prevent them from re-circulating back to the cabin.

“We are proud to be assisting Boeing as they work with their partner airlines to enhance in-cabin plane sanitization efforts. This could also benefit schools, hospitals, offices, wherever pathogens go,” said Abe Morris, Healthe executive chairman. “As we ramp up deployment of our cutting-edge UVC and Far-UVC 222 light solutions across many sectors, this new commercial-grade wand will be another powerful tool in the sanitization arsenal to protect passengers against the spread of harmful viruses.”

The UV wand uses 222 nanometer UVC light. Research indicates 222 nanometer UVC inactivates pathogens effectively.

Using the self-contained apparatus that resembles a carry-on suitcase, crews can pass UV light over high-touch surfaces, sanitizing everywhere the light reaches. The UV wand is particularly effective in compact spaces and sanitizes a flight deck in less than 15 minutes.

As part of CTI, Boeing solicited feedback from multiple industry sources, which aided in quickly validating this technology. Etihad Airways was the first to evaluate the device, and the UV wand was demonstrated on the Etihad 787-10 ecoDemonstrator airplane on Aug. 21.

ALSTOM; IBRE ; experienced designer and producer and brake discs & levers; IBRE , experienced designer and producer and brakedisc & levers; 89100 Saint-Denis-lès-Sens.Autorisation image OK

Alstom Expands Braking System Expertise With Ibre Acquisition

July 4, 2020 / WIL BALDWIN

Alstom is taking a new step forward in the implementation of its AiM (Alstom in Motion) strategic plan in France with the acquisition of Ibre, a company specialised in the development, manufacture and supply of cast iron or steel brake discs for high-speed, intercity, regional and suburban trains, trams and metros. Alstom and Ibre already had a long working relationship on projects for SNCF.

With the acquisition, Alstom will reinforce its internal capabilities regarding railway braking systems, which are essential to the overall dynamic performance of trains.

Ibre employs around 30 people at its Sens site in the region of Bourgogne Franche Comté and had a turnover of approximately €10 million in 2019. It is a company with an international scope, with more than half of its sales in France, of both original equipment and replacements. The rest primarily serves customers in Austria, Australia, Belgium, Scandinavia, England, India and Germany.

“This acquisition represents very promising development potential for Ibre and its employees and is in line with Alstom’s strategy to extend its know-how,” says Jean-Baptiste Eyméoud, Senior Vice President Alstom France.

Railway brake discs are one of the critical components of the braking system. Alstom’s acquisition of Ibre represents a unique opportunity to extend its offer. Ibre products will be offered as original equipment and as part of maintenance contracts. Following completion of the transaction, which took place on 30 June, the company, renamed “Alstom Ibre”, becomes a wholly owned subsidiary of Alstom.

IBRE is an experienced designer and producer and brake discs & levers

Agreement Between Alstom & Snam for Development of Hydrogen Trains in Italy

June 5, 2020 / WIL BALDWIN

Alstom, a global leader in integrated solutions for sustainable mobility, and Snam, one of the world’s leading energy infrastructure companies, have signed a five-year agreement to develop hydrogen trains in Italy.

The agreement, after the conclusion of the first phase dedicated to feasibility studies planned in Autumn, aims to develop, already at the beginning of 2021, railway mobility projects including both hydrogen-powered trains and the related technological infrastructure, as well as management and maintenance services.

As part of the agreement, Alstom will manufacture and maintain newly built or converted hydrogen trains, while Snam will develop the infrastructures for production, transport and refuelling.

This co-operation stems from the joint commitment of the two companies on hydrogen: Alstom has launched the Coradia iLint, the first fuel cell train in the world, which has successfully been in service for one year and half on a regional route in Germany, while Snam has been one of the first companies in the world to experiment a 10% hydrogen injection into the natural gas transportation network.

Airbus A350-1000 Deployed in Fight Against COVID-19

April 6, 2020 / WIL BALDWIN

Airbus continues to purchase and supply millions of face masks from China, the large majority of which will be donated to governments of the Airbus home countries, namely France, Germany, Spain and the UK.

An Airbus flight test crew has just completed its latest mission with an A350-1000 test aircraft. This is the third of such missions between Europe and China. The aircraft returned to France with a cargo of 4 million face masks on Sunday 5 April.

The A350-1000 left Toulouse, France, on Friday 3 April, reaching the Airbus site in Tianjin, China on 4 April and returning to Hamburg the same day.

Since mid-March, the previous two missions were performed by an A330-800 and an A330 Multi-Role Tanker Transport (MRTT). Airbus also deployed an A400M and its Beluga fleet to transport shipments of masks between its European sites, in France, Germany, the UK and Spain.

Airbus will continue to support the fight against the Coronavirus pandemic wherever possible.

“I would like to pay tribute to all the Airbus teams, globally, supporting the fight against COVID-19. They’re living our values in assisting those who are saving lives every day”, said Guillaume Faury, Airbus CEO. “

Airbus is focused on the health and safety of its employees and supporting its customers and the industry eco-system with business continuity. At the same time Airbus is contributing to many vital public and private services and working with partners who rely on aircraft, helicopters, space and security solutions to carry out life-saving missions in support of the global pandemic.

Airbus is deploying its employees, their expertise and know-how and leveraging technology in this fight against the COVID-19 pandemic, for example in designing and manufacturing ventilators and 3D printed visors which are critical resources for hospitals.

The Company is partnering with other organisations in unprecedented ways to achieve this goal as fast as possible.

Alstom Barcelona 3D Printing Hub Joins COVID 19 Fight

April 2, 2020 / WIL BALDWIN

Production and development of new solutions for hospitals

Alstom’s 3D printing hub in Barcelona is coordinating initiatives being implemented at a Group level to contribute to the fight against the COVID 19 global pandemic. Since last week, engineers and developers based in Santa Perpetua site (Barcelona) have been coordinating and implementing different initiatives to produce pieces, supply consumables and design new solutions.

Alstom’s hub is working in coordination with the 3Dcovid19.org network to manufacture visors for face shields and ventilators valves, that are being delivered to different hospitals.

“The aim is to help the healthcare community by manufacturing parts that meet appropriate quality and safety standards,” says Jaume Altesa, responsible for Alstom’s 3D printing hub at Santa Perpètua. “3D printing has gained prominence due to its particular usefulness for creating equipment to protect against COVID-19, as it can be used to manufacture materials currently suffering severe shortages such as face masks, mechanical respirators and even door openers, among others”, he adds.

The CAD design experts at the Santa Perpetua facilities are also innovating in new solutions and developments. They are currently working, for example, on portable personal protectors for door handles and the use of anti-bacterial materials in the masks.

Launched in 2016, Alstom 3D printing hub in Barcelona is one of the components of Smart Operations, Alstom’s ‘Industry of the Future’ programme. Its ambition is to produce 3D-printed parts quickly and at a competitive price for new trains, to meet the customers’ requests for parts, and to facilitate some manufacturing and maintenance operations. At Alstom, 3D printing is used for four applications: tools for our factories, prototypes to validate a design, moulds produced in half the time of classic production methods and series parts with around 70 references in plastic and metal.

Tesla to Slash Headcount at Nevada Gigafactory by 75%

March 27, 2020 / WIL BALDWIN

BEIJING/TOKYO (Reuters) – U.S. electric carmaker Tesla Inc <TSLA> plans to slash on-site staff at its Nevada battery plant by around 75% due to the coronavirus pandemic, the local county manager said on Thursday.

The move comes after its Japanese battery partner Panasonic Corp <6752.T> said it would scale down operations at the Nevada factory this week before closing it for 14 days.

The factory produces electric motors and battery packs for Tesla’s popular Model 3 sedans.

“Tesla has informed us that the Gigafactory in Storey County is reducing on-site staff by roughly 75% in the coming days,” Austin Osborne said in a post on the county’s website.

No further details were available and it was not clear how many employees work in the factory. Tesla did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.

The Reno Gazette Journal, which earlier reported the planned suspension, said Panasonic has about 3,500 employees at the Nevada plant.

Tesla said last week it would temporarily suspend production at its vehicle factory in San Francisco Bay Area from end of March 23, as well as at its New York solar roof tile factory.

However, Tesla CEO Elon Musk said the company will reopen the New York plant “as soon as humanly possible” to manufacture ventilators for coronavirus patients.

Two employees of Tesla have tested positive for coronavirus but have been working from home for the past two weeks and had not been symptomatic at work, Tesla said in an email to employees on Thursday. It did not disclose which unit or at what location the employees work.

(Reporting by Yilei Sun and Makiko Yamazaki; Editing by Miyoung Kim and Himani Sarkar)

Alstom to Equip Another 19 ICE High-Speed Trains with ETCS

February 12, 2020 / WIL BALDWIN

Alstom has obtained an order by Deutsche Bahn AG (DB) to retrofit 19 additional ICE1 high-speed trains with the newest ETCS signalling standard. The retrofitting work, worth more than €10 million, is scheduled to be completed by September 2021.

The project is a follow-up contract for the ICE 1, of which Alstom had already retrofitted 39 trains for the commissioning of the VDE 8 high-speed line connecting Berlin and Munich. Since the opening of the high-speed line passenger numbers have more than doubled.

‘We are delighted that Deutsche Bahn has again passed a vote of confidence in Alstom for this complex retrofit. This is a further step towards making Germany fit for digital rail guarantees Deutsche Bahn a uniform and flexibly deployable ICE fleet’, says Dr. Joerg Nikutta, Alstom Managing Director Germany & Austria.

The contract includes development, design and manufacture of the digital signalling system ETCS Level 2 Baseline 3 as well as its installation, connection to existing train control systems and commissioning. The new system will ensure a continuous communication between the vehicle and the track.

The retrofitting work will be implemented in cooperation with several Alstom sites: Berlin, Braunschweig (installation design and project management), Charleroi, Belgium (product development, validation and assembly for ETCS) and Lyon/Villeurbanne, France (manufacture of components). The conversion and recommissioning of the vehicles will be carried out at the ICE-plant in Hamburg-Eidelstedt.

With 15 years of experience putting into service ERTMS Level 2 digital signalling solutions, Alstom is a global pioneer in its development and implementation. With projects in 30 countries, Alstom has installed nearly 40% of the Trackside ERTMS Level 2 equipment in service in Europe and equipped over 8,000 trains of 200 different types with its Atlas On-board ERTMS solution. Atlas is a scalable solution that can be adapted to all types of traffic and operational needs: passengers and freight, high-speed or suburban.

Alstom Signs First Contract for Battery-Electric Regional Trains in Germany

February 6, 2020 / WIL BALDWIN

Alstom will manufacture, deliver and maintain until 2032 eleven Coradia Continental battery-electric trains for regional traffic on the Leipzig-Chemnitz route on behalf of VMS (Verkehrsverbund Mittelsachsen) and with the support of ZVNL (Zweckverband für den Nahverkehrsraum Leipzig), the two authorities responsible for this line. The contract is worth approximately €100 million. Following this order, Alstom offers all types of traction systems on the market as well as the full range of emission-free drives, from efficient electric motors to hydrogen fuel cells and advanced battery traction.

In 2014, Alstom had previously signed a contract with VMS for the delivery of 29 Coradia Continental electric regional trains (EMU). In order to bridge the 80 kilometres of non-electrified line between the cities of Chemnitz and Leipzig, the authority requested a battery-electric version (BEMU). The new trains will enter service in 2023. They will be built at Alstom’s German site of Salzgitter, in Lower Saxony. The battery traction sub-system is designed and supplied by Alstom’s traction centre of excellence in Tarbes.

“We are immensely proud to be providing the responsible authorities with a sustainable and perfectly-suited solution. Today, Alstom stands apart in being able to offer any form of emission-free traction currently on the market built into a proven solution. As a responsible company, Alstom has an intense focus on sustainable mobility, offering the best-fitting solutions that make it not only possible, but also cost-effective and attractive,” says Gian Luca Erbacci, Senior Vice President of Alstom Europe.

The Coradia Continental BEMU trains will be similar to those already in service on the Dresden, Riesa and Zwickau routes. The main difference: they will also have high-performance batteries on the roof. The train, based on the proven Coradia Continental, builds on Alstom’s long experience in battery traction, gained with the Coradia iLint, Citadis trams and the Prima H3 locomotive.

The Coradia Continental BEMU has a range of up to 120 kilometres and can be operated under catenary as well as on non-electrified sections. The three-car-trains will be 56 metres long and equipped with 150 seats. They will have a top speed of 160 km/h in battery mode. The capacity of the batteries (high-power lithium-ion) is calculated to ensure catenary-free operation of the line Chemnitz-Leipzig without any sacrifice in performance or comfort.

Alstom’s Coradia range allows operators and transport authorities to offer their passengers regional trains that meet their needs and expectations, while demonstrating exemplary reliability and cost-effectiveness. Alstom has tailored the Coradia range to operate with all available emission-free power systems, from electric to battery-electric and hydrogen fuel cells. The latter, the Coradia iLint, powered by fuel cells and offering performance comparable to a diesel train while emitting nothing but water, has been in passenger service in Germany for over a year.

Latécoère Enters Into Agreement to Acquire Bombardier’s Electrical Wiring Interconnection System Business in Querétaro

January 1, 2020 / WIL BALDWIN

Latécoère to acquire EWIS activities and related assets as well as a skilled workforce specializing in harnessing and electrical sub-assemblies in Querétaro
Agreement promotes long-term relationship with Latécoère and supports the optimization of Bombardier Aviation
Bombardier continues to produce major structures at its high-tech main campus in Querétaro, including the aft fuselage for the Global family of jets

Latécoère and Bombardier announced that the companies have entered into a definitive agreement, whereby Latécoère will acquire Bombardier’s electrical wiring interconnection system (EWIS) assets in Querétaro, Mexico. The two companies also concluded a long-term supply agreement that will see Latécoère supply Bombardier with electrical wiring interconnection systems.

The transaction is subject to customary conditions and approvals and is expected to close in the first half of 2020.

Approximately 700 skilled employees are dedicated to the manufacture of EWIS at Bombardier’s facility in Querétaro. Under the long-term supply agreement, Latécoère will continue to supply the EWIS for all Bombardier Aviation platforms, including Global, Challenger and Learjet aircraft from the current location to support Bombardier’s requirements. The annual turnover of the business is anticipated to be around USD 80 million.

“This acquisition reflects our willingness to emerge as a leading player in the global consolidation movement in the aeronautics sector,” said Yannick Assouad, CEO of Latécoère. “We keep deploying our manufacturing footprint on an international scale with a strong desire to strengthen our presence in the areas closest to our customers,” she added.

“This agreement exemplifies Bombardier’s focus on streamlining its activities to foster a strong and efficient aviation franchise,” said Paul Sislian, Chief Operating Officer, Bombardier Aviation. “With Latécoère’s reputation for excellence, this new partnership will result in a winning combination for both our companies.”

Under the terms of the transaction, Latécoère will pay Bombardier a cash consideration of USD 50 million. The transaction further supports Bombardier Aviation’s transformation and sharpens the company’s focus on its core manufacturing capabilities. The skilled employees who manufacture the main harnesses and electrical subassemblies in Querétaro will bring years of experience and value to Latécoère. The sale will not impact the remainder of Bombardier’s operations at its Querétaro site, which will continue to produce major structures for Bombardier aircraft, such as the aft fuselage for the Globalfamily of business aircraft – including the company’s flagship Global 7500 jet – the most complex aircraft component manufactured in Mexico.

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