Applast Behind the Story of Locomotive Overhaul

Taxes, 2017 Summer. This was the third time FAR EAST Cable team came to the states visiting one of the major locomotive facility in north America.

Above: Far East Cable (FEC and below) with Managing Director Jing Chen (middle) leading the team, FEC Technician Yilei Wang with facility tech leader. Below: Texas factory scene.

Behind the scene is the client’s rebuilding factory recently set up in DFW. ”This is an extreme makeover at scale” according to the client, ”Advances in new train technology as well as sensors and software have made the overhaul market extremely attractive to the freight rail industry”.

Applast supplies FEC both electric compounds for power and control wire and cable, in size vaires from 1 to 24 AWG. They are consistent by various OEM and Tier 1 approvals. With ease of extrution these compounds are well suited for high speed thin-layered extrution.

Above: Thin layer extrusion at FEC facility and wire and cable harnessing facility.

Extremely heat and frost resistant, flexibly adapted to installation, Applast® IR201FR and Applast® IR202FR are robust designed to withstand engine oil, scratches, hot edged pressure, moisture, fire or even environmental concern, as you name it.

Being cut into certain lengths these wire and cable are ready to integrate into “the suite of digital solutions intended to enable a digital freight rail ecosystem”.

”Yes, and we are glad our polymer mixer played a role in these rejuvenation process”. Says Dr. Wu, Applast managing director.

In fact, these refurbishment involves dissembling cabs, trucks, engine and other parts. Overhaul crews sands off the old paint and cleans out the engine cylinders, upgrades to digital system with wiring sensors. “This will allow the railroad to remotely monitor and troubleshoot the truck, “according to the workshop manager.

Some of these locomotives are 25 years old and they’ve done their job well. They come for an extreme makeover and when they leave, they will be ready to roll for a couple more decades with all new gears.