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In the Netherlands train commuters can enjoy safe and comfortable travel thanks to the effective management of the country\u2019s rail network by Nederlandse Spoorwegen (NS) and their daughter NedTrain, a company responsible for maintaining and refurbishing the fleet of trains operated by NS. As part of a project involving the upgrade of one of NS\u2019s fleets, NedTrain faced the challenge of replacing the sensor cable assemblies and connections responsible for monitoring and transmitting critical data about the condition of the wheel axle sets, braking systems and general condition of the bogies. This data is safety critical as it provides insight into the qualitative state and wear and tear of wheel sets including wheel flats, axles and the condition of a trains automatic braking system etc. With this information trains can be maintained, repaired and upgraded in a timely and planned way for the general safety and comfort of passengers and staff. Robert Adamo, Team Leader & Project Engineer NedTrain: \u201cAnamet Europe got us on the right track to the robust and maintenance friendly protection of our signal cables against weather, wind, and stone splash.\u201d<\/p>\n
Robert Adamo manages the department of Construction, Modification and Aftercare at NedTrain. He also represents his department in a multidisciplined project group that supports the NS with logistics, purchasing, manufacturing, maintenance and technical quality services. The thirty employees within this department are responsible for the configuration and requirement management services for NS: in other words, they design, engineer and test innovations on existing NS rolling stock, the objective being to effectively carry out improvements and modifications within the regular planned maintenance schedule. The use of maintenance friendly components that are quick and easy to upgrade is integral to this.<\/p>\n
Robert Adamo \u201cAt NS, safety, comfort and ease of use for the commuter are our main concern. The maintenance performance needs to be measured continuously using Key Performance Indicators, traveller reviews and real-time sensor data from the trains. We use ATB (axle rotation counters) and ABI (pulse generators) sensors that fulfil a role within a train\u2019s safety system. Axle mounted sensors provide data about rotational speed, rotational angle signals for wheel slide protection, information about wheel geometry and other critical data such as shock and vibration impact on the axle. The ABI sensors detects danger such as a potential collision and automatically transmits a signal to the train\u2019s control system to slow a train down or bring it to a complete standstill. With this data, NS and NedTrain have access to data which allows total condition monitoring of the bogie and safe running of the train which in turn enables them to carry out predictive maintenance and plan revisions and upgrades in a timely and scheduled manner. This sensor data is essential for both the safety as well as the comfort of the passenger. It is therefore very important that the cables transmitting the sensor information are properly and optimally protected and meet the fire, smoke and toxicity standards of the industry. The Anamet Europe products provide this protection and also meet the fire, smoke and toxicity requirements of EN Standard 45545-2.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
The way food looks is crucial, not least because it influences the consumer\u2019s choices in the shop. Packaging manufacturers are very aware of this and are constantly developing new types of packaging that display food products to their full advantage. Huub Sleegers, CEO and company founder, shows us various types of packaging.<\/p>\n
Sleegers: \u201cEvery new type of packaging makes new demands on the machines. The current trend is less plastic, more recyclable cardboard and more manageable and flatter packaging. Our customers expect our machines to be efficient and easy to clean, because every minute of downtime costs them productivity. That\u2019s why our machines are modular, enabling customers to make combinations designed according to their own specifications. In this case, it is vitally important that the cables that connect the modules to each other are protected in a hygienically responsible way. For this reason, we consciously use the flexible, robust and reliable conduit systems from Anamet Europe in which we can securely house different types of cables.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
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In the global food industry, everything revolves around productivity and food safety. Flexibility also plays an important role here, because companies in this sector need to be able to respond rapidly to new food and packaging trends.<\/p>\n
With its modular product system, specialist engineering, machine construction expertise and short communication lines between development partners, Sleegers Technique can supply ultrafast, food-safe and versatile customised solutions. Sleegers: \u201cWe can convert existing and\/or used machine(s) in exactly the way our customers want them. Furthermore, we invest a lot of time in research and development, because this is a vital part of our product development. That means that our products are seamlessly geared to the customer\u2019s current needs.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
Sleegers emphasises that Sleegers Technique is primarily a Research & Development company.<\/p>\n
Sleegers: \u201cWe work closely with our customers to optimise the productivity and food safety of their processes. We regularly hold brainstorming sessions in which our engineers and machine builders exchange ideas about all the functional and practical aspects. We also do that with our suppliers, and that helps the product developers at Anamet Europe to pinpoint exactly which requirements a specific solution must satisfy. By innovating with the customer, we guarantee consistent and practice-oriented product development.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
Sleegers Technique develops most of its machine parts in house, but also integrates new components from suppliers into its customer-specific solutions.<\/p>\n
Sleegers: \u201cWe\u2019ve been using food grade Anaconda conduits from Anamet Europe for a long time to protect the cables between the various machines in production lines. Conduit allows cables to be bundled, promotes easier cleaning and hygiene than loose cabling systems. Anamet Europe has also developed new types of hygienic design fittings for their conduits that connect seamlessly to our machines and that we now include in the basic design of a wide range of modules. The Food Grade products from Anamet Europe provide the best possible hygienic connection with many different types of multi-connectors. They make it possible to seamlessly connect with instrumentation panels, terminal boxes, fixtures, switches, motor connections and frequency regulators. Besides optimal protection of our instrumentation cables, the flexible protective conduits also make excellent conduction possible. In addition, it\u2019s important that they can be cleaned quickly and effectively. We\u2019ve worked with the Food Grade (FG) conduits and the Food Grade (FG) straight fitting from Anamet Europe for a long time, and we now also use Anamet Europe\u2019s compact straight and 90\u00b0 elbow Food Grade (FG) fittings, the Food Grade (FG) reduced straight compact fitting and the High Temperature Food Grade (HTFG) conduit as hygienic solutions on our machines. The best solution for a hygienic connection turned out to be a combination with a 45-degree Harting F+B (Food and Beverage) multi-connector. The (HT)FG conduit from Anamet Europe, fitted with a FG reduced compact fitting, is connected to the cable component of the F+B multi-connector. That creates an optimal hygienic connection. At the other end of the FG protective hose, we use an elbow connection. To do this, we use Anamet Europe\u2019s FG 90\u00b0compact fitting. Because there are no mechanical forces on the connections\/links, this solution is ideal for dynamic applications and it means that the IP 66\/67 protection class is guaranteed.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
According to Jerry Matena, Area Sales Manager Benelux at Anamet Europe, Sleegers Technique and Anamet Europe share the same hygienic design philosophy.<\/p>\n
Matena: \u201cLike Anamet Europe, Sleegers Technique is actively committed to raising the food safety of its customer-specific solutions to the very highest level. And when it comes to hygiene and cleanability, we also abide by the \u2018less is more\u2019 principle, which means that we\u2019re constantly searching for new ways of simplifying the design of our components, but then in a way that benefits both functionality and cleanability and thus food safety for end users.As part of this innovation-oriented cooperation between the two organisations, we like to supply free samples of our new products that Sleegers Technique can then integrate into their products to optimise the food safety, flexibility and functionality of a specific installation. We then use the feedback from Sleegers Technique to gear our products even more to current market needs.\u201d Sleegers: \u201cThanks to our collaboration with Anamet Europe, we\u2019re now integrating a wide range of new Anamet Europe products into our modules. That means we can offer our customers even more flexibility and food safety.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
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