EPTA行业简报会-铁路市场拉挤复合材料的机会-讨论了在铁路部门更多采用复合材料的驱动因素，以及越来越多的应用于拉挤部件的问题。
不断增长的人口、加速的城市化、资源稀缺和气候变化正在推动人们对更可持续的流动性解决方案的需求。要建立一条适合21世纪的铁路，就需要在铁路车辆和基础设施方面进行大量投资。现代化战略要求更好、更节能、更快、更安全、更舒适、运行更可靠、更符合成本效益的列车。新技术和新材料将在这一转变中发挥重要作用。复合材料可以提供成本效益高、用途广泛的替代传统建筑材料，而不损害安全。这为列车运营者、铁路车辆和基础设施所有者以及终的客户提供了优势，包括：
可持续性改进：每公里二氧化碳排放量减少；
运营效益：能源成本低，加速速度快，有效载荷增加；
降低生命周期成本：快速安装，降低维护，降低更新频率；
增强功能：新的设计理念，多功能组件，定制解决方案.
EPTA秘书Elmar Witten博士解释说：“随着国际政策继续推动减少运输活动中的二氧化碳排放，对复合材料等轻质材料的需求将增加。”“列车内部对轻质、高性能、防火材料的需求增加，将有利于拉挤构件，随着时间的推移，在内部应用中得到证实的性能将加强在结构应用中采用复合材料的理由。铁路部门日益关注整个寿命成本，这是提高复合材料相对于其他材料的竞争地位的一个进一步因素。“
拉挤工艺是为数不多的连续复合材料制造工艺之一，它使成本效益高、批量生产的零件具有持续的高质量。作为多材料设计的一部分，拉挤复合材料制造的机车车辆部件可以为轻量化计划做出重大贡献，并降低寿命成本。挤压型材可以在外部和内部的应用，使创新的多功能设计不可能与金属。大型外部车身部件，如侧面面板和钢轨，可以用综合的功能元素和定制的形状制造。屋顶面板可以跨越整个天花板从一个窗口到另一个窗口，这是可能的集成空调管道和暖气通道的结构。隔断、行李架和存储单元、桌子、窗饰、餐饮和卫生间模块以及门组件是拉挤型材的一些进一步应用。
在铁路基础设施中，与钢、混凝土和木材相比，耐久的耐腐蚀复合材料提供了结构性能优越的低维护解决方案，并提供了快速安装和延长资产寿命。挤压复合材料提供机会创造预制，模块化的解决方案，使快速安装现场。通常比类似的钢结构轻30%左右，复合人行天桥可以方便地作为预制组件或完整的结构从一个工厂运输到另一个地点，以便在一夜之间安装。与金属不同的是，玻璃纤维复合材料不需要电接地，这使它们成为理想的应用，如电缆托盘，第三轨道覆盖，铁路接头，履带柜和压载保持系统。进一步的基础设施应用包括轨枕和路堤支护系统、隧道衬砌板、通道平台、栅栏和障碍物。
原文如下： As the rail sector looks to technologies to enable it to answer sustainability, performance and cost challenges, applications for pultruded composites are set to grow, according to a report from the European Pultrusion Technology Association (EPTA). Lightweight, high performance, durable composite materials offer energy efficient solutions with lower environmental impact and reduced through-life costs in rolling stock and rail infrastructure.
Pultruded composites on track for growth in the rail sector
The EPTA industry briefing, Opportunities for pultruded composites in the rail market, discusses the drivers for increased adoption of composite materials in the rail sector and the growing number of applications for pultruded components.
Growing populations, accelerating urbanisation, resource scarcity and climate change are driving demand for more sustainable mobility solutions. Significant investment in rolling stock and infrastructure will be required to create a railway fit for the 21st century. Modernisation strategies call for improved, energy efficient trains which are faster, safer and more comfortable, and which operate more reliably and cost effectively. New technologies and materials will play a big role in this transformation. Composite materials can offer cost effective, versatile alternatives to traditional construction materials, without compromising safety. This provides advantages for the train operator, rolling stock and infrastructure owners, and ultimately the customer, including:
sustainability improvements: reduced carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions per passenger km;
operational benefits: lower energy costs, faster acceleration, increased payload;
reduced lifecycle costs: fast installation, lower maintenance, reduced renewal frequency;
enhanced functionality: new design concepts, multi-functional components, customised solutions.
"As international policies continue to push to mitigate CO2 emissions from global transport activity, demand for lightweight materials such as composites will increase," explains Dr Elmar Witten, Secretary of EPTA. "Increased demand for lightweight, high performance, fire retardant materials for train interiors will favour pultruded components, and proven performance in interior applications over time will strengthen the case for adoption of composites in structural applications. The rail sector's growing focus on through-life costs is a further factor improving the competitive position of composites against other materials."
The pultrusion process, one of the few continuous composites manufacturing processes, enables the cost-effective, high volume production of parts with consistently high quality. As part of a multi-material design, rolling stock components manufactured from pultruded composites can provide a significant contribution to lightweighting initiatives and reduce through-life costs. Pultruded profiles can find applications in both external and internal parts, enabling innovative multi-functional designs not possible with metals. Large exterior body parts such as side panels and cant rails can be manufactured with integrated functional elements and customised shapes. Roof panels can span the whole ceiling from window to window, and it is possible to integrate air conditioning ducts and heating channels into the structure. Partitions, luggage shelves and storage units, tables, window trims, catering and toilet modules, and door components are some of the further applications for pultruded profiles.
In rail infrastructure, durable, corrosion resistant composites deliver low maintenance solutions of superior structural performance compared to steel, concrete and wood, and offer rapid installation and extended asset life. Pultruded composites offer the opportunity to create prefabricated, modular solutions which enable fast installation on site. Typically around 30% lighter than similar steel structures, composite pedestrian bridges can be easily transported from factory to site as prefabricated assemblies or as a complete structure, for installation overnight. Unlike metals, glass fibre composites do not need to be electrically earthed, making them ideal for applications such as cable trays, third rail covers, rail joints, and trackside cabinets and ballast retention systems. Further infrastructure applications include sleepers and embankment shoring systems, tunnel lining panels, access platforms, and fencing and barriers.