Softronic is a Romanian manufacturer of rail vehicles and uses the LAPP products in the production of extremely powerful locomotives. These locomotives pull freight cars filled with iron ore extracted close to the Arctic Circle in Sweden. These locomotives, part of the Transmontana series, are among Eastern Europe's most advanced, receiving approval from Romanian and Hungarian Railway Authorities. Softronic locomotives, recognised for their exceptional strength, have the capacity to tow up to 3,000 tons, making them some of the world's most powerful electrical locomotives. Notable features include a new metal construction for the locomotive body, asynchronous traction motors, regenerative braking, IBT traction inverters, powerful train control and protection equipment, LED headlights, and more. LAPP, operating in Romania, provided over 148 articles for the locomotives to meet technical conditions effectively. The ÖLFLEX® TRAIN 331 family's single-core cables were used for control cabinets, while the ÖLFLEX® HEAT 180SiF family's silicon-core cables demonstrated their durability in high-temperature areas. The UNITRONIC® FD CP PLUS data cables, known for their flexibility, were incorporated into the sensor system. Softronic sought a manufacturer capable of delivering a consistent cabling product system with outstanding performance, crucial for the challenging conditions in which these locomotives operate. The EPIC® industrial connectors established electrical connections, and SILVYN® RILL PA 6 polyamide protective cable conduit systems, along with corresponding locking components, were utilized for cable protection.
All TRAIN products supplied by LAPP meet or exceed EN45545-2 standards, qualifying them for hazard classes HL1, HL2, and HL3. This compliance ensures the reliability and safety of the cables in various operating conditions.
“As far as the design and wiring diagrams are concerned, the Transmontana locomotive is of the very highest caliber. Among other things, it’s equipped with a regenerative braking system, which feeds power back into the grid during the braking procedure,” said Softronic Project Leader Catalin Iosub in an interview with Economica.net.
Dan Ionas, Head of Sales and Marketing at LAPP in Romania adds, “We are extremely satisfied with the way this project has panned out. It’s always nice when our projects, such as this one, are crowned with success. It was a challenging task, but our outstanding product portfolio and a highly competent team of experts enabled us to fully satisfy our customer’s requirements.”
LAPP has developed a comprehensive product range, meeting stringent European standards for rail vehicle electrical and electronic systems. This includes ÖLFLEX® TRAIN cables, UNITRONIC® TRAIN cables for data bus systems, ETHERLINE® TRAIN cables for Ethernet systems, SKINTOP® cable glands, SILVYN® protective cable conduits, EPIC® industrial connectors, and FLEXIMARK® cable marking systems.
