Key Source Rail has entered into an exclusive partnership agreement to represent Ekoslide in Australia.
Ekoslide was founded in the Czech Republic in 1994 to manufacture and sell its in-house-designed switch blade roller system.
This innovative product enables the switching of railway turnout switch blades without the need for lubrication of slide plates or bearers, and has been developed to work with the various types of switch points found in rail infrastructure systems around the world.
Steve Balfour, General Manager of Business Development at Key Source Rail, said the company is excited to bring Ekoslide to the Australian market.
“It’s a great product and we can see the many benefits it will bring to the Australian rail industry,” he said.
What makes Ekoslide different?
Unlike conventional switch point operation, where the switch blades are supported by existing lubricated slide plates or bearers, the Ekoslide system supports the switch blade by means of rollers, thus eliminating the need for lubrication, and at the same time removing the problems associated with contamination from dirt and ballast that conventional slide bearer systems are exposed to.
The use of rollers also reduces the effort required to operate the switching mechanisms that position the switch blades.
Radek Lucovič, Business Director at Ekoslide in the Czech Republic, said the primary competitive advantage of Ekoslide is its elastomer-spring roller system.
“Our proprietary elastomer compresses under the weight of the train, allowing the switch blades to settle on to the existing bearers until the train passes” he said.
“After the train passes, the elastomer lifts the blades to a height of one to two millimetres above the existing bearers, resulting in substantially reduced switching effort. Ekoslide offers variable height adjustment, making it a universal system, suitable for all types of existing or new switch blade installations.”
Global success
Ekoslide has proven to be a simple, safe and reliable system capable of operating under extreme climates and conditions.
Since 2007 Ekoslide has expanded its operations to the United States, Canada and Mexico.
Initial successful tests were conducted with Norfolk Southern and CSX. By 2012, Ekoslide became the standard for all major railway companies in the United States.
“The fact that the US market is unique, with many private, often publicly traded companies and the widespread adoption of Ekoslide, which significantly enhances the safety and efficiency of their railway networks, speaks volumes for the product,” said Balfour.
Ekoslide sales currently sit at around 230,000 units worldwide, with 200 customers globally having installed the product. Outside of North and South America, Ekoslide can be found in Austria, Belgium, the Czech Republic, France, Germany, the United Kingdom, Hungary, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Romania, Russia, Slovakia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, Ukraine, and more. Key Source Rail is now focused on developing the Australian market.
A cost-saving option
Ekoslide switch blade rollers are an inexpensive tool for improving the reliability and efficiency of switches, while reducing costs in a wide variety of areas.
“Ekoslide comes with a five-year warranty and the lifetime of the product is 25 years,” said Balfour.
The benefits of Ekoslide are:
Greatly reduced wear and tear on switch motors resulting in extended life of blade switching mechanisms and reduced need for repairs and replacement.
Reduced friction means less power consumption when positioning the switch blades, resulting in financial savings on electricity.
Ekoslide reduces switch motor failure, traffic errors and train delays, speeding up and improving the consistency of throws.
“The ease and speed of installation of the Ekoslide System, combined with reduced field maintenance personnel costs, with no requirement for ongoing lubrication, provides a compelling case for rail infrastructure operators to install the Ekoslide Roller System,” said Balfour.
The types of configuration
The Ekoslide roller system consists of three main roller configurations:
A TYPE
The A type will fit switch blade setups with a slide plate height above 25 millimetres. The rollers contact the switch blade on the underside of the foot of the switch rail, and the assembly is positioned in between the sleepers. The unit is attached to the stock rail by means of a threaded rod, spring clip and retaining nut.
B TYPE
The B type is similar to the A type, except it is manufactured to fit switch blade setups with slide plate clearance of less than 25 millimetres. The roller assembly clamp is manufactured to the exact stock rail profile and requires drilling and bolting to the stock rail, with the rollers also contacting the switch blade on the underside of the foot of the switch rail. The B type assembly is also positioned in between the sleepers.
C TYPE
The C type requires bolting to the switch blade, utilising the existing bolts on the switch blade and slots on the C type units, with the rollers contacting the top of the slide bearers that are already mounted on the sleepers. The C type comes with different holes or slots depending on the existing bolt pattern on the switch blade. The C type is limited to 20 millimetres of height adjustment, which is far more than would be needed under normal conditions, unless the existing slide plates are higher.
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