Lightweight and Low-Cost Composite beams for Rolling Stock Applications

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This project will establish the potential application of a cost-effective composite beam to address the need forlightweight structures in the rail industry. The composite beam moves away from traditional high-wastecomposite solutions and is an alternative to metal components currently used in the rail sector. It will offer anew way of designing car bodies and bogies and flexibility in the dimensions of the beam along its length, widthand height, supporting end-users’ needs. To demonstrate the possibility of using such beams for rolling stock, itis essential to determine the performance of the composite structure in extreme conditions. The LoCoBeaStconsortium is led by Far-UK Ltd, who has developed a patented composite beam technology called Axontex™,and has WMG as an academic partner who will share its expertise in high-load and environmental testing. Themain project output will be a small-scale demonstrator verifying that a low-waste and affordable compositebeam can sustain extreme conditions and therefore be a new disruptive solution for the rail industry.