RAILFOCUS - SMA Railway Technology GmbH

SEPTEMBER 2009 ISSUE
RAILFOCUS
THE SMA RAILWAY TECHNOLOGY GMBH MAGAZINE
RELIABLE QUALITY UNDER A NEW NAME
SMA RAILWAY TECHNOLOGY GMBH
ADHESIVE JOINING TECHNOLOGY
BONDING INSTEAD OF WELDING
BERLIN-WARSAW EXPRESS
RELAXED AND RAPID TRIP TO POLAND

02 Imprint
Railfocus
Railway Technology Magazine
Published by:
SMA Railway Technology GmbH
Miramstrasse 87
34123 Kassel
Germany
Phone +49 561 50634-6000
Fax +49 561 50634-6001
Responsible for contents
Dirk.Wimmer@SMA-Railway.com
Coordination
Daniela.Wagner@SMA-Railway.com
Contact
Info@SMA-Railway.com
Railfocus Railway Technology Magazine is published twice a year
German edition: 2,000
International edition: 2,000
Cover picture: Exhibition Train „Expedition Future“. © ArchiMeDes
All trademarks are acknowledged, even if not explicitly identified as such. If not identified
as such, this does not mean that a product or brand is not a registered trademark.
This text and excerpts thereof may only be reproduced with the written consent of the
publisher. Printed on 100% chlorine-free paper.
All rights reserved.
© 2009 SMA Railway Technology GmbH

Visit our new website at:
www.SMA-Railway.com
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Editorial
News
Reliable quality under a new name
Berlin-Warsaw Express
Adhesive joining technology
High speed in Spain
And the light goes on
Destination Scania
Expedition Future
Service & Trade Fairs
Outlook
Content 03

DEAR READER,
The railway technology division at SMA has seen many changes in recent years. The railway technology division,
which has been in existence for more than 20 years at SMA, now has a new profi le: at the end of 2008 we
moved into a new building, which gives us room to grow over the next couple of years and to manage this growth.
Everything is under one roof: from development to manufacture to the test bay to customer service.
The change of premises was accompanied by a new name for the division: since June 2008 the railway technology
division has been consolidated into its own company, which we have called SMA Railway Technology
GmbH. By taking this step, we have adapted the organizational structure of the company in terms of size and
strategic focus. With some 200 employees based at the Kassel site, the company is now large enough to invest in
new technologies. But at the same time, it remains small enough to be able to react quickly and fl exibly to market
developments.
This important step has been rewarded with dynamic development in incoming orders. The fi rst months as SMA
Railway Technology GmbH were more successful than anyone could have hoped for. Despite record sales of
more than €26 million in 2008, orders in hand have now increased to over €50 million. Several major orders
have ensured a high level of capacity utilization over the next 5 years. With new development projects, the points
are set for a successful technological future. SMA Railway Technology GmbH is thus in an excellent position to
continue along the road to success.
Hoping you enjoy this latest edition of Railfocus,
Birgit Wilde
Managing Director SMA Railway Technology GmbH
Editorial 05

06 News
NEWS
SMA supplies onboard converters for Mumbai Monorail
SMA Railway Technology GmbH supplies
onboard converters for the new
monorail vehicles in Mumbai. These
vehicles are equipped with our systems
by Scomi Rail Berhad in Kuala Lumpur.
The 60 onboard converters to be
supplied belong to SMA‘s MEE-NTSD
range, which is already deployed in
similar form in the RegioCitadis vehicles
in Kassel and The Hague. Deliveries
from SMA started in the early summer
of 2009 and will be completed in
approximately one year.
SMA Railway wins SBB bid
Swiss Federal Railways, SBB, has commissioned
SMA Railway Technology
GmbH with the supply of onboard converters
for the modernization of their
EuroCity passenger railcars. This is the
largest order in the history of SMA Railway.
From 2009 to 2014, a total of
240 passenger cars will be equipped
with MEE-NTLD multi-voltage onboard
converters from SMA.
As part of the SBB‘s extensive modernization
program, the EuroCity coaches will
be converted so they can be deployed
in national and international long-distance
rail traffi c for another 25 years. This
involves equipping the vehicles with new
multi-voltage onboard converters from
SMA, which generate the appropriate
voltage for the consumers in railway vehicles
from the various contact line voltages.
For example, these devices are
used to operate air-conditioning systems
or to provide electric sockets in regional
and long-distance trains. SMA Railway
Technology GmbH has specialized
from an early stage on in the development
and manufacture of multi-voltage
onboard converters which, with their
compact and modular design,
could be adapted to the variety
of demands found in international
rail traffi c. All development and
production stages take place at
the Kassel factory. The fi rst SMA
onboard converters were delivered
to the SBB works in Olten at the
beginning of 2009.

MEE-NTSD for Izban and São Paulo
MEE-NTSD onboard converters for ICM 3/4
Following delivery of MEE-NTSD
onboard converters for the ICM 1/2,
SMA Railway Technology GmbH
will also deliver the systems for the
ICM 3/4. The ICM 3/4 is a four-unit
train, which is used by Netherlands
Railway as an intercity train. As part
of a comprehensive modernization,
every ICM 3/4 will be fi tted with a
new redundant energy supply system,
realized with two independent MEE-
NTSD onboard converters. Deliveries
started in June 2009 and will be
completed by the end of 2011. The
modernization of the trains is being
carried out by NedTrain in Haarlem
(the Netherlands).
The Spanish railway vehicles manufacturer
CAF has commissioned SMA
with the delivery of a total of 134 onboard
converters for the new regional
trains of the Izban transport company
(Izmir, Turkey) and the new vehicles of
Metro São Paulo (Brazil). The extremely
News 07
light MEE-NTSD onboard converters
for Izmir and São Paulo are based on
the devices which have already been
successfully deployed in public transport
in Kaohsiung. Delivery for both projects
started in June 2009 and will be completed
by the early summer of 2010.
© Leen Dortwegt

08 Featured Article
RELIABLE QUALITY
UNDER A NEW NAME
SMA RAILWAY TECHNOLOGY GMBH
Since June 2008, the successful railway technology
division of SMA has been operating under the new
name of SMA Railway Technology GmbH. The
demerger enables the wholly-owned subsidiary of
SMA Solar Technology AG to operate in the railway
technology market with even more efficiency and
independence than before.
With challenging technologies and numerous innovations
in power electronics the company has reached an outstanding
market position in recent years. Today, more than
4,000 railway vehicles around the world are equipped
with SMA systems. Our product line ranges from battery
chargers to complete power supply and diagnostic
systems. In 2008 alone sales reached some € 25 million,
and there are many new orders in the pipeline. This dynamic
development was only made possible by demerger as
a wholly-owned subsidiary. „The SMA railway technology
division, whose products stand for light-weight, highly
efficient power electronics with the highest level of
reliability, achieved outstanding results in the past.
We want this to continue to be the case in the future,
and the new company to grow faster than the market for
railway technology,“ says Günther Cramer, spokesman
for the board of SMA Solar Technology AG. „This requires,
however, an adapted organizational structure and an
independent status within the SMA Group, which these
days is almost exclusively dedicated to solar technology.

The demerger can therefore lay the foundation stone for
stronger growth in railway technology.“ Managing directors
of the company are the graduate engineers Andreas
Berger, Birgit Wilde and Dirk Wimmer, who have already
headed the railway technology division for several years.
„Our decision to become independent and autonomous
has been confirmed by the positive response from our
customers and employees,“ states Birgit Wilde. „The successful
work before the demerger and the high motivation
of our staff enabled us to achieve rapid growth in 2008
– a trend which will continue in 2009.“ The demerger
also took into consideration the 110 employees who
were working in the railway technology division at that
time: all employees were involved in the decision-making
Left:
Constructing a prototype
Gerd Kobold
Top right:
Management
Dirk Wimmer,
Birgit Wilde,
Andreas Berger
Featured Article 09
Bottom right:
The new logo of
SMA Railway Technology
process; employment contracts, works council agreements
and additional benefits were taken over by the new company
without change. Since the demerger the number of
employees has grown to approximately 200; a sign of
the extremely positive development in incoming orders at
SMA Railway Technology GmbH. „The new employees
have strengthened the production area and, above all,
the development department. For this reason we regard
ourselves as being very well-positioned for technological
development at both national and international level,“
says Birgit Wilde.
Daniela.Wagner@SMA-Railway.com

10 Application
BERLIN-WARSAW EXPRESS
RELAXED AND RAPID TRIP TO POLAND
The name „Berlin-Warsaw Express“ stands for the
close cooperation between Deutsche Bahn (German
Railway) and the Polish state railway on the Berlin -
Poznan - Warsaw line. The trains run three times a
day from Berlin via Frankfurt (Oder), to Poznan to
Warsaw.
Poland is close and far at the same time: only 600 kilometers
in the „Berlin-Warsaw Express“ lie between the the two
capital cities. And yet until now the neighbors in the east
have been far away for most Germans. This only started
to change on May 1, 2004: since Poland‘s entry into the
European Union, the interest of the Germans has suddenly
grown, while the Poles have always oriented themselves towards
Western Europe. Large numbers of Poles commute to
Germany every week, in order to earn their money there.
The typical commuter journey with the Berlin-Warsaw-
Express takes around six hours from capital to capital.
Many commuters experience the journey as relaxation and
perceive it as a gentle change from one life to another. The
main thing lying between departure and arrival is ... time.
Plenty of time to immerse oneself in a Polish newspaper
or meet with friends for a coffee in the train restaurant.
The Boardbistro caters for small and large appetites by
serving the passengers drinks and typical Polish dishes
such as „Schabowy“ (Schnitzel).

Technical Data
Multi-voltage onboard converter
Input voltage 700 V AC ... 5,000 V DC
AC output 3x230/400 V AC, 50 Hz, 35 kVA
DC output 24 V DC, 6.6 kW
Boardbistro with MEE-NTLD
Bottom left:
The Berlin-Warsaw Express
before departure
© Benno Koch
Above:
Application 11
In order to serve meals fresh from the oven and beer on
tap, the six Deutsche Bahn Boardbistros have been equipped
with a new MEE-NT multi-voltage energy supply system
from SMA. The system has an output of 75 kW and is mounted
in two underfl oor containers. It consists of a high-voltage
converter, a battery charger and a three-phase AC inverter
to supply the electric consumers in the Boardbistro kitchen.
The three-phase AC inverter for the air conditioning unit is
situated in a separate container, which is also mounted
under the car and also contains SMA technology.
Cooling system with emergency operation
The three-phase AC inverter module for the kitchen consumers
has been designed for normal and emergency operation,
which ensures reliable supply of the Galley cooling system.
In normal operation the three-phase AC inverter is supplied
by the intermediate circuit of the energy supply system
with +/-400 V DC. In the event that no train line voltage is
available, the inverter automatically switches to emergency
operation and is supplied by the Boardbistro battery.
To ensure continued supply of the Boardbistro cooling
system during emergency operation, a transformer is
connected downstream of the inverter for voltage adjustment
and galvanic isolation. Anyone who now intends making
the train journey from Berlin to Warsaw should defi nitely
visit the many theaters and cinemas, and the dozens of
museums and galleries.
Joachim.Bierschenk@SMA-Railway.com
The Berlin-Warsaw Express
with SMA energy supply
© Benno Koch

12 Background
ADHESIVE JOINING
TECHNOLOGY
BONDING INSTEAD OF WELDING
Above:
From virtual prototypes ...
In recent years, adhesive technology has been
applied in all known means of transport – thanks
to the development of high-strength and tough
adhesives, which can also withstand crash loads.
Adhesive technology offers a crucial advantage compared
to welding: If components are permanently bonded
with an appropriate structural adhesive, the construction
possesses a higher level of stiffness and crash capability
in case of both static and vibrating loads. SMA Railway
Technology GmbH would also like to make use of these
properties for the mechanical design of its containers.
Right:
... to heavy-duty container systems
The aspects of stiffness, crash capability and stability play
a leading role when developing mechanical constructs.
The joining means have a major influence on the stability,
i.e. the ability of the structure to withstand certain loads
without being damaged. After considering how these
properties could be optimized, SMA decided to use high-
strength structural adhesives in the construction of its
container systems.

Advantages: „adhesive joining technology“, as
it is known in technical jargon, has the following
advantages:
• Component stiffening through
large-area bonding
• Prevention of galvanic corrosion
• Vibration damping
• Sealing function
Background 13
Placing the highest demands on planning
For an exact assessment of the properties of the bonded
container connections, a virtual prototype of the container
system is created with a CAD application. Using this model,
the character of the vehicle with its functions and properties
is simulated so that the vehicle-related influences on
the container in terms of safety and load capacity can be
assessed.
Klaus.Goedeke@SMA-Railway.com
Andre.Greiling@SMA-Railway.com

14 Application
HIGH SPEED IN SPAIN
We associate Spain mainly with summer, sun
and sea. Rightly so, because Spain follows
closely behind France as the second most popular
country in the world for taking a vacation.
The Germans in particular have made Spain
their favorite holiday destination.
But the country on the Iberian Peninsula with its parliamentary
monarchy is also an economic success story. With
sustained economic growth over the last 20 years, Spain
has become the eighth largest economy in the world.
Gross domestic product has increased by 3% to 5% every
year over the last 10 years. The economic development
has been accompanied by intensive expansion of the
infrastructure. And from the beginning the development of
the railway was given a high priority.
The Spanish high speed network
The broad-gauge network of the state railway company
RENFE has been supplemented with a standard-gauge
high speed network: AVE. The Spanish high speed network
has already reached a length of some 1,500 km. The aim
is to make all provincial capitals accessible within 4 hours
for rail passengers traveling from Madrid. From Barcelona
the maximum journey time should be 6.5 hours. This would
make high speed rail a genuine alternative to the airlines.
A massive effort is required to make this possible. Plans
are in place to extend the high speed network to 7,000
km in the medium term, and to 10,000 km in the long term.
Trains will reach speeds of up to 300 km/h on these lines.
The many planned connections, including lines to France
and Portugal, make this by far the most ambitious high
speed railway network development in Europe.

Special requirements for the railway vehicles
The high speed network runs on standard-gauge track,
electrified with 25 kV AC, 50 Hz. As a rule, high speed
trains are procured from renowned European manufactures,
which operate exclusively on the new railway lines.
A particular challenge is presented by the connection to
the existing RENFE network, however. This runs on broadgauge
track and is electrified with 3 kV DC.
Constructing a new normal-gauge line is not always economically
feasible. But at the same time it has become
clear that direct railway connections which do not require
changing trains have a much higher acceptance among
passengers. The Spanish railway vehicle manufacturer
CAF supplies RENFE with a series of high speed trains.
This includes vehicles of the 120 and 121 series, which
can run on both gauge systems and with both contact line
voltages.
Application 15
A particular highlight of these trains are the BRAVA bogies
from CAF, which allow the train to be regauged within
1 minute and without stopping.
The high speed trains delivered to date with variable
gauge widths are still limited to speeds of 250 km/h on
the normal-gauge high speed network and 220 km/h on
the wide-gauge RENFE network. Future versions will not be
subject to this limitation.
SMA is currently developing a MEE-NT onboard converter
with a total output of 300 kVA for this new generation
of high speed trains. The device will have a medium-
frequency potential separation and thus will be sub-
stantially lighter than comparable devices produced by
competitors. Testing of the onboard converter will start in
the summer of 2009.
Bottom left:
RNFE 120
© Thierry Leleu
Matthias.Lenz@SMA-Railway.com
Top:
Impressions of Spain

16 Application
AND THE LIGHT
GOES ON
Singapore, the green high-tech city in the middle
of the tropics, is a city of extremes.
Skyscrapers beside Chinese temples, amphibious vehicles
beside bum boats, fast food outlets beside spas – the business
metropolis offers its guests many contrasts. Life pulsates here:
4.2 million inhabitants live in the city with the most important
container harbor in the world – a melting pot of cultures in
the south of Malaysia.
Preventive maintenance of the infrastructure
Singapore has an exemplary and cost-effective light
rail system, which requires continuous and regular maintenance
and systematic development. The maintenance
work includes regular inspection of the rails. Safetyrelevant
faults must be detected and rectifi ed immediately.
Visual inspection systems can automatically detect the
relevant faults – with the advantage that transport services
are not disrupted by the maintenance work. These are the
solutions that Singapore is currently implementing.
Backup power supply
RailCheck is a visual inspection system produced by the
bvSys company (www.bvsys.de) that can be used for rail
inspection. At speeds of up to 200 km/h, the condition of
the track is monitored, evaluated and recorded by cameras
on the train. The quality of the data depends, however,
on suffi cient and constant illumination: halogen headlights
light up the inspection area and guarantee optimal contrast
imaging in dry and wet weather conditions.
The power required for the inspection system is supplied by
auxiliary converters from SMA. They provide the required
backup power supply, so that trains like the C651, which
are equipped with the RailCheck, can carry on the inspection
of Singapore‘s railway network.
Technical Data
Onboard converter
Input voltage 750 V DC
Dirk.Wimmer@SMA-Railway.com
AC output 3 x 400 V AC, 50 Hz, 30 kVA
Dimensions 1,100 x 450 x 350 (mm)
Weight 115 kg

Top and bottom right:
Impressions of Singapore
Bottom left:
Metro train, type C751
Application 17

18 Application
DESTINATION SCANIA
DISCOVER THE DIVERSITY!
Since the appearance of the books by Henning
Mankell about Commissar Wallander, many
people identify Scania (Skane in Swedish)
with murder and criminal detection. At the same
time, Scania in the south of Sweden is a popular
holiday destination. Tourists in Scania can look
forward to a coastline stretching over 500 km,
numerous historical sites and a diversity of
cultural attractions.
Summer or winter – a visit to Scania‘s gardens
is always eventful, due to the wide diversity of
stylistic trends, ranging from French baroque to
Japanese minimalism.
Those looking for more than just a pleasant walk or a picnic
in one of the many public and private gardens, will find
distraction in the various garden festivals offered by
the Scania tourist office: the nationally acclaimed tulip
festival in Simrishamn for example, where the gardens of
Apotekarn and Bergenkrenska put on tulip shows. Or one
can immerse oneself in the botanical world of Scania by
taking part in an asparagus safari or a tomato tour as part
of the „Garden à la carte“ action.

And, of course, Scania can be explored by train. A closely
linked railway network provides rapid connections,
especially since the opening of the Öresund bridge, which
has brought about an enormous increase in commuter
traffi c on the railway. Swedish state railways operate
all the rail traffi c in the region of Scania, on behalf of
Skånetrafi ken. This includes the Coradia Nordic from
Alstrom Transport. Now that the Coradia Nordic X60
fl eet has been equipped with SMA technologies, a total
of 49 trains of type Coradia Nordic 61 will be equipped
with the ultra light MEE-NTSD onboard converter with
active redundant power supply.
Technical Data
Multi-voltage onboard converter
Input voltage 1.5 kW DC
Left:
Coradia Nordic
© Alstom 2009/Photo
Right:
Island in Sweden
Application 19
AC output 3 x 230 /400 V AC, 50 Hz, 105 kVA
DC ouput 110 V DC, 18 kW
The onboard converter supplies the different voltage levels
of the onboard power supply network. All components of
the power unit are designed according to the redundancy
concept, i.e. two devices of the same type feed one
voltage level in parallel. The system control of the auxiliary
converter is also designed according to the redundancy
concept.
Uwe.Rehwald@SMA-Railway.com

20 Application
EXPEDITION FUTURE
Since spring of this year, to mark the 60th anniversary
of the Federal Republic of Germany, the exhibition train
„Expedition Future“ has been touring a total of sixty
German cities, in order to invite young and old visitors on
a journey of discovery through the world of science.
Theme train Science and Technology
This is a mobile exhibition which looks back on 60 years of
scientific research in Germany. The world of science and
technology is presented in twelve theme railcars, with extensive
multimedia features, hands-on exhibits and other interactive
models. Current research trends are highlighted with
projections into the future, dealing with global challenges
such a climate change, energy scarcity and demographic
changes. The train is touring a total of 60 cities in the
Federal Republic, stopping for 3 days at a time to offer
visitors an insight into scientific and technical topics
ranging from cosmology to medicine to agriculture to
nutrition, etc. The trains were equipped in the Deutsche
Bahn works in Wittenberge and Berlin-Grunewald.
They have been fitted out with an elaborate interior
architecture. The concept is based on the „Science Express“
which toured the Indian subcontinent from October 2007
to June 2008. The project „Expedition Future“ is under
the management of the Max Planck Society and is funded
by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research.

SMA onboard converters to supply the air
conditioning system
SMA has delivered a total of 12 onboard converters
to supply the railcar air conditioning systems and the
multimedia equipment. The onboard converters are
located in underfloor containers and are operated
with 1,000 V, 16.7 Hz. The air conditioning system is
supplied by an SMA onboard converter with an output
of 10 kVA which is supplied via an integrated high
voltage transformer. The internal power supply of the
onboard converter is realized via the secondary side
tap of the high voltage transformer. This has the advantage
that no railcar battery is required for the internal
supply of the device.
Bottom left:
Theme world: nano and
biological sciences
© ArchiMeDes
Joachim.Bierschenk@SMA-Railway.com
Top left:
The future of humanity ...
© ArchiMeDes
Technical Data
Top right:
Application 21
Onboard converter for air conditioning systems
Input voltage 1.000 V, 16,7 Hz und 50 Hz
Output voltage 3 x 230 / 400 V, 50 Hz
Nominal power 10 kVA
... The factory of the future?
© ArchiMeDes

22 Service
SERVICE & TRADE FAIRS
Service
Trade fair dates
Business on Rails
November 10 - 12, 2009
Latin America‘s largest exhibition for
public transport and traffi c.
Expo Center norte
São Paulo, Brazil
InnoTrans 2010
September 20 - 23, 2010
International trade fair for traffi c
technology, ICC Exhibition Center
Berlin, Germany
Our competent service line staff is available to
answer your questions, Monday to Friday from
7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Service line:
Phone +49 561 50634-6600
If you have any questions or need our support
we will be glad to receive your emails.
Service email:
Service@SMA-Railway.com
suissetraffi c 2009
November 11 - 14, 2009
International trade fair for public transport
Exhibition Center (BEA bern expo)
Bern, Switzerland
APTA EXPO 2011
October 2 - 4, 2011
International exhibition for public transport
and traffi c, Ernest n. Morial Convention
Center, stand no. 5849
New Orleans, USA

OUTLOOK
SMA supplies onboard converters for SBB
The metropolis of São Paulo
Outlook 23
With the order for delivery of the new
multi-voltage onboard converters for the
modernization of SBB‘s EuroCity passenger
railcars, SMA has won the largest order in
the history of the company.
For this reason the next issue will contain an
in-depth report on this project.
São Paulo, with more than 20 million inhabitants,
is one of the largest cities in the world
and a dynamic economic center of Brazil.
Of course, public transport assumes a special
significance here. In the next issue we will
take a look at São Paulo and provide further
information on the SMA onboard converters
for the new trains of the São Paulo metro.

RAILFOCUS
SMA Railway Technology GmbH
Miramstrasse 87
34123 Kassel
Germany
Phone +49 561 50634-6000
Fax +49 561 50634-6001
Info@SMA-Railway.com
www.SMA-Railway.com