Lightweight components for railway technology

Metawell® lightweight components made ​​of aluminium sandwich panels convince in the rail vehicle industry through their versatility. They have been used worldwide in high-speed trains, passenger coaches, metros and streetcars since the mid-1980s.

They combine low weight with high bending strength and dimensional stability, meet the highest fire safety requirements and can be used for sound attenuation. With their high-grade, coatable and printable surfaces, Metawell® aluminium sandwich elements can be adapted to the required design. The easily formable Metawell® Aluflex allows the realisation of complex sandwich constructions. Furthermore complete systems can be delivered, e.g. with attachments, handles, holders, integrated heating cables…

Builders and designers happily rely on Metawell® lightweight components in railway vehicle construction – for good reason: with the lightweight aluminium sandwich panels, solutions that meet challenging technical and economic requirements can be realized for different applications.

  • Lightweight aluminium panels in many variants for diverse applications

  • Lightweight components for specific customer requirements

  • Varied surface design, on request also powder-coatable panels

  • Panels can also be offered with a heating function

  • 100 % recyclable

  • Corrosion protection, also of the core

  • Good sound attenuation

  • Certified acc. ISO/TS 22163:2017 (IRIS) and DIN 6701-2 Class A1

  • Fire safety HL 3 acc. EN 45545, DIN 5510, etc.

Exterior cladding and casing systems

Complete exterior cladding made of lightweight aluminium sandwich panels is still uncommon in railway technology. The cover sheets and the core material of Metawell® sandwich panels are additionally protected against corrosion and are therefore suitable as base material for casing and exterior cladding – components that are extremely exposed to wind, weather and other external influences. Metawell® sandwich panels lead to a noticeable weight reduction, which means more efficient braking performance, reduced load on the truck frame and additional energy savings for the railway vehicle.

Curved and flat ceiling elements

Metawell® aluminium sandwich panels are light, strong and dimensionally stable. Therefore, when installed in ceiling structures just a few fixing points are needed. Coated, painted, powder coated, printed or laminated surfaces, invisible fasteners such as blind rivets – as well as several edge designs are offering many possibilities for creative design – e.g., parts of the ceiling can also be used as a cable channel.

Floor systems (also heated)

Floor panels in railway vehicles must withstand enormous distributed load as well as extreme point load. Their stability must be high enough to securely fasten elements such as grab poles or seat assemblies. With their bending stiffness, the floor panels are intended to enlarge the spans, while being as light as possible. Developed especially for this broad range of requirements, Metawell® sandwich panels combine unique strength in the core material and cover sheets with a low intrinsic weight. In addition, the corrugation channels of the floor panels can be equipped with heating wires, so that an included heating function can be offered. With Metawell® Alu-Silent additional sound reduction (up to Rw= 38 dB) can be offered.

Partition walls and compartment doors

Thanks to the lightweight design of the aluminium sandwich panels the strict weight requirements can also be met, which is why the panels are also used for partition walls or compartment doors. This and compliance with Russian and European fire protection requirements and the use of modern and ecologically sustainable materials, was of vital importance for the client RZD. Another positive feature of the Metawell® panels is the possibility of powder-coating. For the end user, this results in a more even surface with greater scratch resistance and higher detergent resistance.

Built-in elements

Lightweight Metawell® aluminium sandwich elements are well-suited for the use as substrates for tables, seats, for switch cabinets and racks – not least because of their enormous stability, which provides good protection against vandalism. An important aspect in the design of rail vehicles.

Components for entry aids

Entry areas of public transportation vehicles need to withstand many different things: Extreme loads are often distributed unevenly or pointedly, the weather and contact with corrosive substances such as road salt. The corrosion-protected Metawell® aluminium panels have already proven themselves effective over a thousand times in railway technology, used for ramps, sliding steps (including maintenance flaps/cover panels) and lift systems.

Air ducts

Metawell® is also used for air ducts. By using Metawell® sandwich panels it is possible to produce large elements with low weight. Thanks to the high rigidity of the panel, additional stiffeners are not necessary and at the same time the number of attachment points can be reduced.

Our customers

The figures are for guidance only. Suitability of the panels should be checked previously. For project-specific orders, panels from 5 to 22 mm can be manufactured. Please contact us.