Mass transportation represents the ideal solution for traffic management in major cities in terms of increasing convenience and speed.
In the face of a growing population and increased urbanization, railway system manufacturers are seeking materials that reduce energy consumption while also being environmentally friendly and safe. Bayer and China South Railway (CSR) Nanjing Puzhen have joined forces to create new interior designs for CSR’s low-floor trams.
The Chinese industry development zone Suzhou New District will be the first implementation site for the new designs. The company will supply the interior equipment for all low-floor trams of the new metro line number 1. This project was the first to be approved by the China National Development and Reform Commission through official tender.
To achieve their goal of having lightweight parts with greater energy efficiency, the railway manufacturer chose Bayer’s Bayblend and Makrolon polycarbonate sheets for its train components. In particular, CSR Nanjing Puzheng was seeking a material offering leading-edge interior designs while at the same time maximizing passenger safety through its flame retardance. Bayer’s polycarbonate sheets offer all of these characteristics, and are also available in appealing designs, colors, and surface structures. The sheets are used for the interior wall paneling of the trams. CSR Nanjing Puzhen also praised Bayer’s support at all project stages from material selection to manufacturing.
Joachim Simon, global head of mobility marketing in Bayer’s Polycarbonates Business Unit, was fully supportive of the project from the beginning, “The mass transportation market is of great interest to Bayer and the company has committed significant resources to improving mass transportation applications.” According to Simon, Bayer has gained significant global experience regarding specific market support requirements involving an increasing number of mass transportation customers around the world. “This global experience puts us in a position to provide tailored solutions for specific mass transit applications based on the needs of given countries,” he said.
Bayer MaterialScience will showcase further examples of the use of valuable plastics in mass transportation at the Innotrans trade fair in Berlin from Sept. 23-26.
