Knorr-Bremse Systeme für Schienenfahrzeuge GmbH

Moosacher Straße 8080809 Munich Germany Tel: +49 89 3547-0 Fax: +49 89 3547-2767

W W W . K N O R R - B R E M S E . C O M

This publication may be subject to alteration without prior notice. A printed copy of this document may not be the latest revision. Please contact your local Knorr-Bremse representative or check our website www.knorr-bremse.com for the latest update. The figurative mark “K” and the trademarks KNORR and KNORR-BREMSE are registered in the name of Knorr-Bremse AG. Copyright 2018 © Knorr-Bremse AG. All rights reserved, including industrial property rights applications. Knorr-Bremse AG retains all power of disposal, such as for copying and transferring.

D I S T R I B U T O R V A L V E S

R A I L V E H I C L E S Y S T E M S

Valve technology that can address the needs of the world’s trains. Being able to serve a global market means delivering products to meet very specific and often demanding requirements – for example a valve with the ability to operate in extreme environmental and climatic conditions such as temperatures down to -60 °C!

At the heart of pneumatic brakes is the distributor valve.

This reacts precisely to changes in brake pipe pressure and

provides the corresponding brake cylinder pressure. Modern

valves are sophisticated pieces of technology, providing

load-dependent braking for various specific brake types.

Millions of these valves are in daily use all over the world,

but they are not a “universal” product: various regions have

different standards that have been established over the

years and are not compatible with one another.

LEADERS IN DISTRIBUTOR VALVE TECHNOLOGY Many years of operational experience combined with

new, continuous development and research and a

recognition that life-cycle costs need to be reduced have

helped establish Knorr-Bremse as a leader in distributor

valve technology. The Knorr-Bremse KE distributor valve

for example is extremely popular in the core European UIC

market, and having proved itself in operation the valve

has now become synonymous with absolute reliability.

In American and African markets the DB60 distributor

valve is the standard valve which uses AAR technology,

and in Australia the AAR system is employed for trains

carrying heavy ore. The Australian railways system ARA

operates with Knorr-Bremse W-series valves. In close

collaboration with the Russian State railway company,

Knorr-Bremse has developed valves for use on 1520 mm

gauge tracks. Specially designed to fit vehicles in markets

with 1520 mm gauge, the units are compatible with older

valve types and offer clear advantages for the operator.

While valves are designed to operate down to -40 °C or

even lower in Europe and North America, temperatures

in Russia can fall to as low as -60 °C! Due to the same

construction principles, all distributor valves have in

common long maintenance intervals and low life-cycle

costs and are characterized by their robust, reliable and

weight-saving design.

DISTRIBUTOR VALVES FOR GLOBAL APPLICATIONS

UIC

AAR

AAR

GOST

Other / no significant freight

P-12

47-E

N 09

.2018

APPLICATIONSFreight Cars | Locomotives | Passenger Coaches

Distributor Valves

MAIN FEATURES:n Covers all existing KEdv distributor

valve variantsn Improved spare parts & stock manage-

ment – standard distributor valven Reduced installation space and weightn Standardized car interface

KEf – FOR UIC MARKET n Distributor valve KEf in conjunction

with relay valve family KRf covers all

market requirementsn Graduated application and releasen Proven in service around the worldn Seamless integration into various car

types due to kit designn Interchangeable with all UIC-

approved distributor valves n Indirect EP brake possiblen Working temperature -40 °C to +70 °C

(low- temperature version for -50 °C

available)

DB60 – FOR AAR FREIGHT MARKET n Graduated application and direct

releasen Designed for accelerated service

brake signal transmission n Improved control of long and

heavy trainsn Separation of service and emergency

brake portions n Interchangeable with all AAR-

approved distributor valvesn Working temperature -40 °C to +66 °C

WF5 – FOR ARA FREIGHT MARKET n Graduated application and direct

releasen Designed for operation on longer

freight trainsn High brake signal propagation rates

resulting in reduced stopping distances

and in-train forcesn Working temperature -10 °C to +70 °C

KAB60 – FOR 1520 MM GAUGE FREIGHT MARKET n Integrated changeover for graduated /

direct release and for load settingsn Designed for accelerated brake signal

transmissionn Improved control of long and heavy

trainsn Meets the requirements of Russian

standardsn Interchangeable with other 1520 mm

gauge freight distributor valvesn Interoperable with automatic

load brake valvesn Working temperature -60 °C to +60 °C

(+80 °C for de-icing)

EP60 – FOR AAR FREIGHT MARKET n Electronically controlled pneumatic

(ECP) brake systemn Simultaneous signal transmission

through the trainn Load-compensated braking at each

wagonn Graduated application and releasen Meets AAR performance and

interoperability specifications per

S-4200n Improved handling of long, heavy

trains, providing shorter stopping

distances and saving energyn On-line diagnostics at each wagon

NEW GENERATION DISTRIBUTOR VALVE KEf FOR UIC MARKETAfter over six decades in operation, the KE distributor valve

kit was re-engineered from the ground up. When the first

KE valve entered service in 1953, its engineers had written a

new chapter in railroad history. The KEa was the first distrib-

utor valve capable of always filling the brake cylinder within

the prescribed time, regardless of size and piston stroke. It

replaced high-maintenance mechanical slide valves with

reliable rubber membranes and seat valves. Furthermore,

the entire design was based on a modular principle. The

idea was to make the valve capable of adapting as flexibly

as possible to potential requirements.

As a result of continuous development – and new techni-

cal standards – there are now approximately 500 versions

of the KE valve existing, plus countless components. As

a result, the decision was taken to develop the KEf, a

completely new KE distributor valve generation. It will be

complemented by a newly developed kit featuring single-

stage, two-stage and load-dependent relay valves.

Solid sand-cast designs have been replaced by state-of-the-

art hot-pressed aluminum parts. Whereas formerly the pilot

volumes of the distributor and relay valves used up a lot of

space and material in cast housings, this installation space

now elegantly disappears in the bracket. This makes

the valve portions significantly lighter by up to 75% and

more compact by up to 55%. Also for the complete unit of

bracket, distributor valve and relay valve the overall weight

could be reduced by up to 30%, as well as the required

installation space by up to 50%.

Even the standard version now fits vehicles with limited

installation space – such as low-floor cars – without any

special modifications. The ready-for-future tag is no adver-

tising gimmick – the valves have been designed to be ready

for the digitalization of freight cars.

A carefully conceived, universal common parts strategy

also lies at the heart of this approach. The requirements of

a wide range of vehicle types can be met extremely flexibly

with just one distributor valve and a handful of relay valve

variants.

The required type tests and field trials for certification have

been successfully conducted – TSI and UIC certifications

have been obtained.

Furthermore extensive endurance testing was conducted

to preserve at least the same high mission reliability and

long overhaul intervals of the existing generation. All wear

parts of the new KEf have been designed for best-in-class

durability. When a valve needs to be overhauled, the

bracket simply remains on the car. All modules requiring

maintenance are easy detachable from the bracket and

are lightweight.

KEf valve

DB60 valve

EP60 valve

WF5 valve

KAB60 valve

R A I L V E H I C L E S Y S T E M SD I S T R I B U T O R V A L V E S

LIFE-CYCLE ASSESSMENT – FOCUS PRODUCT CARBON FOOTPRINT Distributor valve, Type: KEf saves 52% CO

2-emissions during its lifetime

compared to the distributor valve, Type: KE0dvKSL

Total Manufacturing andComponent Production

Use Phase Recycling andEnd of Life

100.0

48.1

100

80

60

40

20

0

63.6

36.4

0.9 0.4

35.5

11.3

Distributor valve, Type: KE0dvKSL Distributor valve, Type: KEf

Res

ult

[%]

KEf DISTRIBUTOR VALVE