For reasons of safety on the railways, high demands are placed on the materials used, not only in terms of fire resistance, but also by the harsh environments where these materials are used. Let’s take a look at the properties of one of the most widely used conductors for rolling stock, ÖLFLEX® TRAIN 331.
It is a single-core conductor with cross-sections from 0.5 to 300 mm2 for nominal voltages of 600/1000 V and a temperature range of -45 °C to +120 °C. Resistance to oils, fuels, acids, alkalis and ozone is determined by the design standard EN 50264-3-1. The required combustion properties such as halogen-free, low smoke density and toxicity of combustion products are ensured by compliance with EN 45545-2.
These properties are due to the cable construction and the materials used, the insulation of these conductors and cables being made of an electron beam cross-linked El 109 polymer blend. This gives the plastics used specific properties. Most of these properties are a prerequisite for use in rolling stock and are directly given by the design standard EN 50264.
