The Rail Engineer Transcript

With Permission from: www.therailengineer.com

Cambridgeshire-based BCP Rail—Bespoke Composite Panels—is celebrating its 22^nd anniversary of manufacturing lightweight structural panels and energy absorbers for the railway industry.

The company is experienced at working in partnership with principal contractors and has been involved in a number of prestige rail contracts. Contributing towards its success has been excellent customer service, high quality standards and a commitment to continuous improvement. This has enabled BCP Rail to be highly competitive in terms of price, quality and innovation across a broad spectrum of engineering requirements.

The company's expertise ranges from producing the smallest injection moulding component to the largest structural composite panel, one-off precision tool making to complex modular structures for rail industry requirements. BCP Rail's engineers look forward to new challenges so also work on specific commissions.

Sister company Stonehill Engineering is a subcontract engineering firm co-located with BCP Rail that prides itself on its expertise in manufacturing solutions. These include injection moulding, precision machining and tool making. Through an extensive investment in the latest plant and machinery as well as qualified staff, it offers customers a cost-effective service. This is enhanced by a flexible product base which ranges from prototype and development to leisure and industrial components, incorporating simple 2D processes through to complex 3D techniques.

Problem solving ability

Reducing structural weight is one of the most important ways of improving fuel consumption and the performance of rail vehicles and other transportation equipment. Weight-reducing technologies are critical to the success of new, highlyefficient energy technologies used in transportation industries. BCP Rail harnesses materials that combine relatively low mass with the requisite strength, flexibility and other performance criteria, as prescribed by the client.

The company's problem solving ability plays a key role and it is pleased to work closely with large and small customers alike. By having all its services and facilities at the same site, it can reduce both costs and lead times. All products are manufactured in-house whenever possible, allowing full control over quality and helping to meet customer needs.

A close relationship between design and manufacturing ensures that products are of the highest quality. A commitment to research and development in all areas enables BCP Rail to enhance product design whilst close collaboration with the customer at the early stages of product development allows the company to advise on the best design, material selection and product enhancement. This reduces the cost of tool sampling, development time, production costs and, along with its policy of investment in new plant and people, optimises quality. Confidence is supported by BS EN ISO 9001:2008.

BCP Rail has many areas of specialism -

Galley and servery modules

These are modular systems for carriage interiors. Cost-effective manufacturing techniques produce housing for Atlas-style aisle carts and meal containers using laminate panels, providing customers with lightweight, high-strength and durable solutions.

Energy absorbers

Anti-climbers contribute to the ‘crash worthiness' of a vehicle in two ways -

by absorbing impact energy as a second phase unit following coupler overload and preceding the deformation of the sacrificial section of the vehicle structure, and
by locking vehicles together during the vital part of the impact, helping to direct forces longitudinally.

Without anti-climbers, one vehicle will override another in a serious accident. Robust anti-climber casings contain a one-shot energy absorbing cartridge. Replacement cartridges are available. Anticlimber faces lock together to minimise the tendency for vehicles to climb or over-ride. The strength of engaged anti-climbers is sufficient to support well in excess of 50% of a fully-laden vehicle and is designed to meet any specified vehicle parameters.

Structural panels

At its UK site, BCP Rail manufactures a variety of structural panels from a range of core and skin materials. These panels are used in many rail applications such as -

acoustic flooring and doors, both new-build and refurbishment
easily replaceable, decorative cabin dividers that can be painted or glazed
table tops of custom size and shape.

Projects

The company is experienced in working in partnership with principal contractors and, in recent years, has been involved in a number of contracts to supply servery and galley modules to train builders, projects worth over £2 million.

One catering vehicle project involved the manufacture, functional test and supply of six different modules direct to the train builder. The design incorporated a servery unit with worktops, drawer units, water storage tanks, an illuminated display, CD/merchandise and newspaper racks. The units also securely stowed Atlas-style aisle carts and meal containers together with interface mounting of microwaves, fridges and coffee makers. Logistical support included despatch from Huntingdon to Wakefield and Bruges on an alternating basis to ensure that the train builder's production line was supplied with product to meet the build programme requirements.

As part of a galley project, modules were designed and built in three units to aid installation. These were then assembled and tested at the company's Huntingdon site prior to shipment to the train builder. The galley included hot and cold UV-filtered water supplies, a sink, drainage, a fridge, coffee maker and dish washer.

Another galley project involved three modules with individual roller shutters for -

housing Atlas-style aisle carts and public address system
water bottle storage
housing Atlas-style meal containers.

BCP Rail's extensive portfolio has allowed it to build on its knowledge and experience in mechanical, electrical and plumbing to meet Railway Group Standards. A multi-disciplined team of qualified engineers is experienced in design and manufacture for many markets, offering expertise in consultancy, design, simulation, prototyping and full-scale production. The customer remains of paramount importance and is assisted in all stages of the project process.