Sand Systems

Mechan has used its knowledge of railway depots and workshops to develop an innovative range of sandbox filling systems.

Maintaining rail vehicles often means replenishing the on-board stocks of sand used to improve traction and braking. Traditional methods are time-consuming and labour intensive, whilst spills and waste often present operators with environmental and health and safety issues.

To resolve this problem, Mechan has developed an automated system that allows just one operator to fill sandboxes through an ergonomically designed nozzle, similar to those used to refuel a car.

The sand is stored in an on-site silo and dispensed directly into the sandbox via a fixed location installation or through a mobile filling cart. A dense phase pneumatic pipe is used to transfer the sand under pressure at low velocity, minimising pipe wear. Dust is eliminated through a simple exhaust system.

Fixed installations have local dispensing points located along a service road, so multiple sandboxes can be filled simultaneously. The operator simply places the nozzle into the sandbox and opens the flow valve. When the box is full, the sand covering the nozzle will stop the flow automatically. The supply can then be closed and the nozzle returned to the dispensing holster.

Mobile carts operate in the same way, although only one sandbox can be filled at a time, as they have just one nozzle outlet.

Mechan's sandbox filling systems are:

//   Flexible and future-proof - expansion requires little additional infrastructure

//   Easy to use - minimal operator intervention or training is required

//   Environmentally sound - free from spills and dust

//   Efficient - rolling stock can return to service faster, as time in depot is reduced