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Nov 19, 2023

Ferrabyrne

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Ferrabyrne designs, develops, manufactures and services a range of rubber-to-metal components and assemblies for railway applications, including locomotives and intercity, regional rail, trams and metros.

Most components are used in safety critical situations, including traction centres, anti-roll systems, links, bushes, mounts and bump stops.

Ferrabyrne ensures a high level of customer service throughout the organisation, from design concept to final delivery. We are responsible for the original design and development of new products, including life extensions by up to three times.

The Ferrabyrne refurbishment service is provided for the overhaul of bogie suspension systems, air-spring assemblies and lineside fed-kitting packages.

The traction centre transfers the traction loads between the bogie and body, and allows the body to bogie pivot rotation during rail curvature.

Designs are produced using 3D CAD and finite element analysis (FEA). Solutions are developed, produced and validated through our own manufacturing processes and in-house test facilities.

We also supply a wide range of complete anti-roll systems comprising of a torsion bar, levers, links and support bearings. These are designed, validated and tested to provide the required roll stiffness and vertical ride characteristics specified for each application.

Torsion bars are manufactured using a combination of processes including forging, bending, heat treatment and precision machining. Our anti-roll bar range includes single-piece bent bars and three-piece sub-assemblies, where separate levers are attached onto a straight torsion bar.

Ferrabyrne's extensive range of rail vehicle links includes traction, torque reaction, motor nose, lateral and anti-roll bar links. Links are subjected to loads and misalignments, therefore the rubber-to-metal bushes are specifically designed to accommodate radial, torsional and conical movements.

Link bodies are manufactured from SG iron, cast steel, steel forging or flame cut steel, as required for each specific application.

We manufacture centre pivot bushes, anti-roll bar support bearings, radial arm bushes, brake bushes, damper bearings and power module support bearings.

The success of any system incorporating rubber bushes is dependant on good bush design – a combination of profile and compound. Other characteristics can be achieved with a variety of advanced design techniques, including the use of internal bearing and limiting snubber features.

We produce a wide range of mounts for many varied applications, including primary suspension sandwich mounts, chevrons and secondary air-spring emergency mounts.

Engine, motor, gearbox and raft vibration control mounts provide support and help to protect equipment from destructive forces.

Rubber buffers (bump stops) limit the static and dynamic movements of a moving mass such as bogie traction centre movement, as well as many general applications where rubber is used to limit movement and cushion shock loads, e.g. door stops.

Ferrabyrne offers torsional and transverse vibration control, and high-conical, radial and axial misalignment rubber couplings and shafts, selected for their technical suitability and endurance properties.

We also provide many solutions from the standard range, as well as special designs to meet complex solutions.

Our refurbishment package provides a comprehensive service for overhauling major bogie suspension systems and sub-assemblies, returning such systems to the ‘as new’ condition with full kitting for lineside feeding into bogie reassembly. This can also incorporate the servicing of air spring assemblies.

As the UK authorised service centre for ContiTech, Ferrabyrne has established state-of-the-art maintenance and test facilities for air-spring assemblies. This service is supported by our regular 360° collection and delivery service.