Railways, mining and industry
Improving your equipment with an eye on the next step
Existing machines can still have a lot of value, while requirements for energy use, emissions, and deployment are changing. We investigate how construction, work functions, and energy supply can be adapted together. In doing so, we combine our experience with electrification, battery packs, and hydraulics with the manufacturing expertise of Van den Berg Staalbouw.
Railways and rolling stock
In track maintenance, a machine must function within the available working time. Transport, hydraulic work, and waiting have different energy profiles. Charging must fit with storage, maintenance, and the next deployment. At the same time, space, weight, existing controls, and safety functions are decisive for a conversion.
We are investigating, among other things, the electrification of hydraulic work functions, local drive modules, and a shared energy supply for collaborating units. Demand-driven pumps can limit unnecessary running time. We design storage, power distribution, charging facilities, and structural integration as a whole.
The chosen solution must fit the existing machine and the agreements regarding deployment and assessment. Therefore, we include documentation, required assessments, and functional testing from the start. A first implementation can serve as a reference for a manageable series conversion.
Mining and raw materials processing
Long operating periods, varying loads, and distance to a charging point can make electrification difficult. Dust, moisture, vibrations, and temperature also place demands on the physical design. For underground work, we also include ventilation, maintenance access, and specific site requirements in our assessment.
We can assist with issues regarding pumps, hydraulic work units, and mobile power supply. We compare fixed power supply, battery-electric deployment, and a combination of energy sources. In doing so, we examine whether charging during planned downtime, a mobile facility, or a swappable unit fits the work process.
With custom frames, housings, and controls, we tailor the solution to the environment. The required energy is determined based on the function and the duty cycle. Thus, accessibility for service and the continuity of the work also become design choices.
Industrial production and heavy installations
A pump that keeps running while waiting, a hydraulic installation set to peak power, or multiple machines starting simultaneously: energy demand is partly determined by the control system and the production process. An expansion may also require more power than the current connection provides.
We investigate drive, pressure, flow, standby consumption, and simultaneous load. Possible interventions include servo control, demand-driven hydraulics, electric work functions, and storage to absorb temporary power peaks. Production planning and recharging possibilities determine whether storage is appropriate.
Mechanical integration and maintenance also count. Together with Van den Berg Staalbouw, we can develop frames and housings for a modified machine or a complete energy unit. For a separate installation, we start with Machine Energy MRI; for the coherence with the building and connection, with Building and Organization MRI.
A development route that looks beyond the first intervention
We discuss what your equipment needs to do today and what usage you expect later. Perhaps the approach starts with more efficient hydraulics, followed by electric work functions. Or maybe the first machine immediately requires a battery pack, while the charging infrastructure must be able to grow with the fleet.
We also investigate whether energy recovery during lowering or braking is technically feasible. We compare the steps based on technical feasibility, investment, downtime, and reusability. We determine which components can be retained and which interfaces are needed for expansion. Where an internal combustion engine remains part of the operation, we can also include source optimization and emission reduction in the assessment with AtomicOne.
What our integrated approach means for you
The function determines the power supply. We first investigate how the machine can perform its work more efficiently. The outcome influences motor power, battery, charging, and construction.
Customization is part of the engineering. In-house battery construction and programming are integrated with the construction and manufacturing expertise of Van den Berg Staalbouw. Mechanical, electrical, and hydraulic choices are evaluated together.
Development leads to a feasible follow-up. Where a suitable solution is missing, we develop and test the necessary system function. We work out the route in a design, scope of execution, and test plan. A proven initial implementation can then be standardized for similar machines, including the necessary adjustments per application.
This coherence makes EPowerOne a development and construction partner for challenges that involve multiple technical disciplines.