Innovative hopper car
Issued by UC RUSAL, Arconic Russia and RM Rail, the aluminium hopper car is the lightest of modern mineral wagons, and with the highest load capacity. Through using new aluminium alloy 1565ch and bogies with increased axle load of 25 tonne-force, engineers were successfully in increasing the loading capacity of the car to 79 tonnes, with total volume of 109m³.
The advantages of the hopper car:
• Service life up to 32 years, 6 years more than its competitors.
• Loading capacity up to 79 tonnes, 4 – 8 tonnes more than its competitors.
• Container weight from 21 tonnes, 2 – 4.5 tonnes lower than its competitors.
• Container ratio – 0.26, 14% less than its competitors.
The economic effect of using hopper cars:
• Reduced costs of transporting one tonne of mineral fertiliser by up to 10%.
• Reduced number of cars by up to 13% while maintaining transport volume.
• Reduced strain on railway infrastructure.
Prototypes of the new cars are currently in the stages of dynamic and static testing. Mass production of the cars is planned for 2016.
4 – 5 tonnes of aluminium are used to manufacture one car. According to the Association’s estimates, the market for innovative hopper cars will constitute around 4000 units each year. Realisation of the project is expected to increase aluminium consumption in Russia by 16-20,000 tonnes of aluminium per year.
In order to expand the market for innovative cars, the Association is in discussions with leading grain transporters about the production of aluminium grain carriers.
Together with the Ministry of Industry, the Ministry for Economic Development and the Ministry of Transport, the Aluminium Association is working on introducing discounts to railway prices for companies that use innovative aluminium cars. This project is included in the President’s development programme to develop the domestic aluminium sector.
Another area of collaboration between the Association and public bodies is focused on the need to balance out the cost-efficiency of aluminium and steel cars. This can be achieved by amending the regulations by introducing new criteria for innovative freight cars in terms of ‘container body ratio’, whose value should be 30-40% lower than the container ratio of standard cars.
The Aluminium Association is also in talks with the relevant agencies regarding the need for government support to create and certify rolling stock from aluminium alloys.
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