Press releases

The Santos export terminal recently started using a PRO DER240 shunting robot to move freight trains weighing up to 3,900 tons. The new addition complements the existing robot fleet on site: A total of seven shunting systems from Vollert now accelerate the low-dust 24/7 unloading of soya, bran and maize in the modernized ship terminals of the two operators TES and ADM.

The seaport operators in Pori, Finland, rely on a radio-controlled shunting solution from Vollert for the rail loading of iron sulphate as bulk goods. A Tandem DER 150 shunting robot provides and moves freight trains weighing up to 2,000 tons. The coupling system is compatible with both Eastern and Central European systems.

Austrian building company HABAU GROUP invested 11 million euros into expansion of its hollow-core slab production in its Perg factory site, increasing capacity by nearly 30% per annum. Just like the entire preliminary planning of their new plant technology, loading and removal processes also rely on sustainable technology, such as an emission-free road-rail vehicle.

Five new tandem shunting robots by Vollert automate and accelerate train loading in the Bogatyr open-cast coal mine in Kazakhstan. The Wi-Fi-controlled shunting machines move trains with lengths of about a kilometer and a total weight of up to 6,900 tons. Their rolling use warrants failsafe operation on four tracks in parallel around the clock.

Shunting expert Vollert deploys its VLEX robot vehicle for rail and road at Fret SNCF's maintenance site in Modane. The compact road-rail robot moves locomotives weighing up to 120 tons effortlessly into their maintenance boxes.

Heavy masses and efficient bulk material loading without endangering people – the transport of scrap and metal presents many challenges. The shunting specialists from Vollert meet this requirement with the robustly designed shunting vehicle for road and rail. VLEX 40 and VLEX 20, the compact product lines equipped with articulated steering are used at ESF Elbe-Stahlwerke Feralpi GmbH in Riesa and at VDM Metals in Unna.

The agricultural group Archer Daniels Midland (ADM) relies on two cable-powered shunting robots STANDARD KR 70 and two diesel-electric shunting robots PRO DER 240 from the German shunting specialist Vollert for handling soy and corn at its modernized shipping terminal in Santos, Brazil. In perfect interplay, the shunting machines handle the shunting of freight trains weighing up to 3,900 t in 24-hour operation.

With a new model of the road-rail robot VLEX, Vollert extends its compact solution to shunting operations up to 600 tons. Twice as strong, but only 500 mm larger, the new VLEX 40 is also suitable for fast track changes in confined spaces. A swing axle guarantees permanent ground or rail contact of all four wheels, even on uneven ground. And thanks to the emission-free electric drive, operation in closed storage and production areas is also possible. The extremely maneuverable shunting solution of the VLEX 20 is used, for example, in the South Korean metro in Seoul, for moving tank wagons at Lanxess in Leverkusen or for loading lime at Rheinkalk Grevenbrück GmbH.

New terminals on the island of Krievu in Latvia form the modern infrastructure for loading coal in the port of Riga. Vollert supplied a DER 100 shunting robot to the terminal operator SIA STREK.

In the quarry of the French building materials specialist Eqiom in the Bar-sur-Aube district, an energy-efficient fully automatic loading station ensures economical processes. For loading gravel, the wagons are constantly pulled through the filling station by an electrically operated KR 100 shunting robot.

Innofreight Solutions GmbH from Austria has developed an innovative unloading station for the paper and packaging specialist, Mondi. As with voestalpine in Donawitz and at the Chvaletice power plant, Vollert's robust and energy-efficient shunting technology ensures reliable processes.

Experience says otherwise - and yet, here is the fact: The 1,000-meter-long special ropes used in the two shunting systems with standard gauge pusher trucks from Vollert at the Russian refinery Slavneft-Yanos have done their job for 13 years - in spite of almost non-stop use and extreme temperature differences.

With the newly developed VLEX road-rail robot, Vollert offers the finest solution for light shunting operation up to 300 tons: Extremely compact and flexible, battery-driven and exhaust-free, the small VLEX is suitable to change tracks fast in a very confined space.

At InnoTrans in Berlin (September 20-23, 2016, Hall 23/Booth 305), Vollert as specialist in cost-effective shunting and loading systems for connecting and secondary railway systems will be focusing on mobile electrical shunting solutions. Current projects in Germany and Russia for Tegometall, Shell, and EuroChem confirm the increased demand, not only for autonomous battery-operated systems, but also for cable-fed systems.