Carrière d'Arvel has been quarrying rock from the Monts d'Arvel since 1905, extracting silicate limestone that can be used to produce high-quality railway ballast. The long-established company attaches great importance to mining in the most sustainable way possible. Dust and noise should not pollute the environment. When searching for a new shunting solution for transport on the quarry site, the focus was therefore on emission-free, sustainable technology: "Due to a gradient of 10 per mille, our previous diesel locomotive was often unable to shunt the ten freight cars with around 1,000 tons of rock and then needed the support of a second locomotive. In addition, it naturally consumed diesel even when idling and generated emissions. We were therefore looking for a more sustainable and at the same time more powerful alternative," reports Nicolas Teillon, Head of Administration and Materials at Carrière d'Arvel.
A battery-powered Pro BR 150 shunting robot from Vollert is used. On the several hundred-meter-long route from the quarry to the sorting plant, it effortlessly negotiates the 10‰ gradient and reaches speeds of up to 10 km/h when traveling downhill. Depending on the task and individual route profile, the specialists at Vollert always select the most suitable machine. The harsh environment with dust, gravel, and high humidity due to the proximity to Lake Geneva is no problem thanks to the robust technology. "Shunting operations require frequent, gentle starts, precise shunting of just a few meters, and sometimes long periods of inactivity," explains Michael Spohn, project manager for sales in the shunting systems division at Vollert. "Our self-sufficient shunting vehicles are optimally designed for this – in contrast to mainline locomotives. And the electric drives in particular score points with their economical and emission-free operation." The short design of the Pro BR 150 cab also allows a clear view in both directions of travel, enabling operation with only one driver.
Shunting indoors and outdoors
Emissions-free, sustainable operation was also a key factor in EMW Stahl-Service-Center's decision to choose a Vollert robot. The SCHÄFER WERKE Group company is shifting from truck transport to rail for a variety of reasons: "Transport by rail is more sustainable, but also more reliable than trucks or ships, because trains run even during low water levels and traffic congestion," explains Jens Müller, logistics manager at EMW. "Our logistics concept envisages the transfer of 18,000 truck journeys per year. Thanks to Vollert's battery solution, this can be done emission-free throughout our entire premises, both indoors and outdoors." The Vollert Robot Pro Tandem BR 170 plays a central role in transporting materials to the railway siding at the newly created central warehouse in Siegen-Weidenau. Every day, around 4,000 tons of goods can be delivered just-in-time by rail to the main and production site in Neunkirchen – a significant plus for the region and the environment. The coil warehouse has a capacity of 100,000 tons of thin steel sheet.
Molly works without a break
"Molly," as the new shunting robot has been affectionately christened at EMW, can operate for 16 hours without recharging. The tandem robot's battery trolley has five 120-volt batteries, giving it an operating voltage of 600 volts. "This enables us to use standard and therefore more cost-effective industrial technology for the motors and frequency converters," explains Christian Langner, project manager at Vollert. Thanks to the two-car tandem solution, Vollert also dispenses with expensive pivoted bogies and, with four axles, provides sufficient power on the rails for a 900-tonne train load and a gradient of up to 11 per mille. "With our Molly, we have found an extremely powerful, highly flexible, and future-proof shunting solution that is also easy to use," emphasizes logistics manager Jens Müller. The employees of KSW Kreisbahn Siegen-Wittgenstein, EMW's long-standing shunting service provider, are also very satisfied with the simple and easy operation. Thanks to the Vollert robot's remote control, trips with the BR 170 can be controlled both from the driver's cab and from alongside the track with optimal visibility.
