KARL MAYER at JEC: New CFRP pultrusion profiles bring mobility into motion

The advancement of the tried-and-tested pultrusion process enables the cost-efficient production of complex CFRP multi-chamber profiles, which are used in the CETROVO high-speed metro. The world's first carbon-intensive lightweight rail vehicle of this type is designed for speeds of up to 140 km/h. The rapid speed of travel results in complex material stresses that require multiaxial reinforcement.

The textile-reinforced CFRP pultrusion profiles with a wall thickness of up to 25 mm are designed for multidimensional load cases.

CG Rail developed the CFRP profiles together with partners in Dresden on behalf of the Chinese rail vehicle manufacturer CRRC, specifically adapting the pultrusion process for this purpose. The modifications enable the production of innovative multi-chamber profiles with multiaxial continuous fiber reinforcement and lengths of over 20 m.

As additional reinforcement to conventional unidirectional longitudinal reinforcement, the CG Rail team primarily uses non-crimp fabrics from a COP MAX 5. The multiaxial warp knitting machine from KARL MAYER impresses with its high productivity, flexibility, and consistently high material quality. The reinforcement fibers can be inserted at angles of +/- 20° and with a pitch of 1°.

The first CFRP lightweight train celebrated its premiere at InnoTrans 2018 in Berlin. An advanced prototype was a highlight of the World Transport Convention in 2024. Since January 2025, the CETROVO 1.0 has been in service on Line 1 in the port city of Qingdao (Shandong Province).