August 2017 – Components in the Railway Industry

Published on: 08/08/2017

Discover the components used in the railway industry and their applications

The railway industry is undergoing rapid changes in the quest for energy efficiency, increase of economies, reliability, effectiveness and quality of railway transport.

Today’s railroads evolve in to an evermore high-tech industry. Whether it is rolling stock, services, system and signalling, including railway related telecommunication equipment and infrastructure, many challenges are being faced throughout the market.

GD Rectifiers is one of the leading manufacturers of semiconductors, heatsinks and power assemblies throughout the railway industry.  We have a large design centre and manufacturing facility in the UK.

We work with companies early on and help solve their design problems, we shorten your design cycle, reduce costs, increase reliability and have the design for railway manufacturing in mind. We are committed to advanced engineering and world-class manufacturing that delivers innovation, showing you the best products to offer a value-added solution or to design a new product, customised to your project and application.

Components used in the Railway Industry; Our Product Range

We offer an extensive range of passive electronic components, including IGBTs, MOSFETs, thyristors, diodes, resistors, capacitors, high voltage rectifiers, fuses,  heatsinks, low temperature capacitors and rectifiers.

We also distribute state-of-the-art KONČAR converters for trams, locomotives, trains and coaches, alongside liquid cooling systems, trackside converters and power electronic building blocks.

At GD Rectifiers, we make it quick and easy for you to find the product information you need, including ordering samples, production parts, certificates of origin and drawings.

Expertise

Within our development teams, we have the knowledge and the skills required to meet customers’ needs. Our global presence means we operate wherever you do and we can support your project worldwide. Our focus on the railway supply industry allows you access to the widest selection of standard and customised rectifiers, IGBTs, MOSFETs, thyristors, diodes, heatsinks, high voltage semiconductor components, converters, liquid cooling systems, power electronic building blocks and capacitors.

RISQ Accredited

GD Rectifiers are RISQ accredited, we support Great Britain’s leading railway providers such as Network Rail, Transport for London, passenger and freight operating companies, rolling stock organisations, main infrastructure contractors and many other buying organisations in the management of supply chain risk.

Typical Applications

Railway manufacturers and contractors are seeking further efficiency savings in the full range of electrical components that meet low life-cycle costs. Our passive components, including: rectifiers, high voltage diodes, heatsinks, filters and capacitors enable increased productivity and capabilities. This improves operational availability and control of on-going maintenance costs.

• IGBTs are used across a wide range of railway traction technologies
• MOSFETs provide auxiliary power supplies in the railway sector
• Thyristors GTO’s are designed for railway traction
• Fuses are used in main and signalling circuits at railway stations
• High Voltage Diodes are usually used in overhead signalling lines and on the tracks
• Heatsinks are used to provide LED lighting on the platforms
• Capacitors are used to track the presence of the trains on the rail tracks
• Rectifiers are used for railway DC traction
• Resistors are used across trams, metro, light rail ad high speed trains, they all need resistors for different kinds of applications
• Trackside Converters are fed with energy from overhead line, they supply various loads in substations including power supply for integrated lighting and information systems, railway signalling and protection systems
• Converters for Coaches offer high quality and reliability that significantly increase traffic availability of Passenger coaches
• Converters for Trains convert voltage from generators in to the drive power for the traction motors, three-phase auxiliary power supply for the train on-board consumers and into DC auxiliary power supply for charging train batteries
• Converters for Trams supply the main and auxiliary drives of trams
• Converters for Locomotives are used for supplying the main and auxiliary drives for locomotives
• Liquid Cooling Systems are designed for installation in the traction converter, the liquid cooling system uses water to cool the converter power modules
• Power Electronic Building Blocks are subsystems for traction converters, they are liquid cooled building blocks designed for propulsion converters in traction applications

GD Rectifiers has been servicing the railway industry for over 50 years, we have an extensive team of sales engineers dedicated to supporting you. Our experienced team are ready to help you on your next project, tailoring your needs to your business.

For further information on GD Rectifiers’ railway products and solutions please visit our website or call: 01444 243 452 or email your enquiry to: enquiries@gdrectifiers.co.uk