The DECONTACTOR™ Lowers Cost Of South African Logistics

New vehicle carrier wagon

Transnet''s response to this was to design a new vehicle carrier wagon and, to date, 350 of these have been built. An important innovation was that these new rolling stock units are supplied with mains power connections. The simple innovation of providing internal lighting greatly increases their utility. Now loading can be done at any time, which means quicker turnaround times, and ultimately, more vehicles transported.

However, in the course of their operation, car carrier wagons need to be coupled and uncoupled repeatedly. As part of this, what were needed were electrical couplers or ''plugs'' that would be both safe and robust enough to cope with the sometimes-harsh conditions encountered in South African rail. South Africa''s climate can vary from sub-zero temperatures to scorching heat. Transnet required couplers that would give maximum reliability - even under these conditions.

The MARECHAL solution

As car-carrier trains have a two-day cycle, coupling and uncoupling is frequent. Turnaround times are all important so couplers need to be quickly and easily disconnected. As the train control officers (TCOs) are often under pressure, this can lead to couplers receiving inadvertent rough handling. Coupling often has to be done during hours of darkness, where in less than perfect visibility, the DECONTACTORTM''s safety features protect TCOS against accidentally coming into contact with live electrical terminals.

HYCON MARECHAL TECHNOLOGY, a member of the MARECHAL ELECTRIC GROUP, a worldwide leader for the past 60 years in the field of electrical connectors, was able to provide the ideal solution. Its robust DECONTACTOR™ product is exactly suited for repeated coupling and uncoupling, providing high levels of performance and safety to the user throughout its life.

The DECONTACTOR™ plugs and sockets with their integrated power switches have proved superior to other brand solutions. Instead of sliding-fit sockets, the DECONTACTOR™ employs spring-loaded butt terminals manufactured in silver nickel. These ensure excellent connectivity at all times, as they are resistant to corrosion, vibration, and mechanical shock and temperature variations.