Vossloh factory for EPS composite sleeper in Poland
Source: Vossloh
6/21/20241 min read
Vossloh has inaugurated its first production line for Engineered Polymer Sleeper (EPS) in Nowe Skalmierzyce, Poland, alongside customers and partners. This highly innovative and sustainable product, made from amalentic, sets new global standards in the field of synthetic sleepers. The ultra-modern and largely automated facility is designed to manufacture around 100,000 composite sleepers annually, including track and turnout sleepers, as well as specialized products for railroad bridges. These EPS are crafted from secondary raw materials and are fully recyclable at the end of their 50-year service life.
The production process is designed to be adaptable and sustainable, with an innovative tool concept that allows for quick adjustments to meet customer requirements. The facility complies with all European energy standards, using only green electricity and incorporating energy recovery and reuse wherever possible. Sustainability was a key focus in the design of each production step, ensuring an environmentally friendly manufacturing process from start to finish.
The EPS sleepers are the result of over ten years of development by Vossloh's experts. The goal was to create an ecological composite sleeper that combines the beneficial properties of concrete, wood, and polymer sleepers. This was achieved using the innovative material amalentic, which boasts high weather resistance, low thermal expansion, high track stability, and stable track gauge. These features make EPS an ideal alternative to traditional wooden sleepers, which are increasingly being banned due to their harmful chemical treatments.
Oliver Schuster, Executive Board Chairman of Vossloh AG, highlighted the significance of the EPS product and the advanced production facility. He emphasized that the new composite sleepers offer a sustainable and durable solution where concrete ties cannot be used, promoting green mobility in a responsible manner. Schuster expressed confidence in the future success of this product, citing its outstanding properties and exemplary eco-balance as key factors in its anticipated widespread adoption.
