Hot Extruded Battery Holder Profiles for Rail Vehicles
Battery holders on a high speed train carry the units that power the onboard systems, which means they sit under the vehicle in a position exposed to weather, spray and constant vibration, and they are expected to last as long as the train itself. A manufacturer working on these components asked Montanstahl for a prototype, then for a redesign of the section it was based on. The result is a new hot extruded profile in stainless steel 1.4301, replacing duplex 1.4462, delivered as 41 tons in two lengths of 6,000 and 5,950 mm.
High Speed Rail and the Components Behind It
Since the 1980s, high speed trains have set the global benchmark for rail innovation, reaching speeds above 300 km per hour through advances in aerodynamics, materials and engineering. Those developments deliver efficiency, reliability and passenger comfort together, and they have made high speed rail a symbol of modern transport. Supporting that evolution means rethinking components that passengers never see. The customer was looking for critical parts for battery holders, elements that combine advanced design with high quality materials and have to meet demanding performance and durability requirements, because they power sophisticated onboard systems. Sections used in transportation and railway applications face a distinctive combination of demands, since weight has to be controlled for energy efficiency while the part still resists corrosion, vibration and a service life measured in decades rather than years.
From Prototype to a Redesigned Section and a New Grade
The project began with a prototype produced for evaluation and possible development, which is a common starting point when a component is being reconsidered rather than reordered. Once the prototype had been assessed, the customer asked for three changes to the final product. The design had to be optimised so the section would suit the application more closely, which meant reviewing wall thicknesses and the shape of the seats the battery unit sits on rather than reproducing what already existed. The material had to change from duplex steel 1.4462 to stainless steel 1.4301. Finally the supply had to cover 41 tons in two different lengths. The material change is the most interesting of the three, because moving from a duplex grade to a standard austenitic one reduces mechanical strength, so the geometry has to compensate for what the alloy no longer provides.
Application Context
Montanstahl worked directly with the customer to redesign the battery holder profiles, developing a new hot extruded section that meets the functional and dimensional requirements set for the part. The material was moved to stainless steel 1.4301, which delivers the corrosion resistance the application needs while improving cost efficiency compared with the duplex grade it replaces, a trade-off made viable by the revised geometry. The profiles were manufactured in two precise lengths of 6,000 mm and 5,950 mm, and 41 tons were delivered between 2019 and 2020, covering the customer’s requirements through to 2030. Hot extrusion suits a component of this kind because a single pass produces a closed or deeply recessed section with the surface quality the assembly expects, without minimum quantities that would penalise a prototype. Sections like this are developed as special profiles across a wide choice of steel grades, and questions on redesign and material substitution are answered in the technical Q&A.