Mechan, the Sheffield-based manufacturer of lifting equipment, is now offering bogie lifters to the rail market after designing and producing a set of 22 for a specialist overhaul facility in Lincoln.
Siemens Mobility asked the company to develop the lifters, which work in pairs to raise a bogie frame to a comfortable height for maintenance and repairs to take place underneath, to replace a set of aging equipment and the two firms worked together to perfect the design, ensuring it provided maximum efficiency and safety.
The new lifters have now been installed at Siemens Mobility’s facility in Lincoln, where they will be used to service bogies from the Eurostar, Desiro and Thameslink trains. It is the first time Mechan has supplied this location, although its equipment is in use at eight of the firm’s other UK facilities.
Lindsey Mills, Mechan’s sales manager, said: “Siemens Mobility approached us about designing bogie lifters because of our reputation for high-quality equipment. Thanks to our existing relationship, the client also knows we have the inhouse skills to deliver exactly to its specification. Many depots use bogie rotators to raise a frame and they have been a staple in our product portfolio for many years, but we are pleased to now be offering the sector a cost-effective alternative, when there is no need for the bogie to revolve.”
Bogie lifters work in synchronised pairs to grip the bogie securely and lift it to a desired height, within a fine tolerance. They are designed to allow maximum clearance around the frame, giving operators access to all areas when dismantling and reassembling the unit.