Electric drive system - Blickle ErgoMove® 1000 in use 

Gossau-based Cromatech develops and manufactures systems and equipment for a number of different applications, including equipment for maintaining and servicing railways and trams. Schweizerische Bundesbahnen AG (SBB) and many smaller regional rail operators rely on solutions supplied by the company founded in 1988. Cromatech currently employs around 20 people.

Cromatech’s range includes products like train cars and mobile systems which provide trains with the grit they need for traction when setting off, while also allowing them to brake safely and accelerate efficiently when there’s snow on the ground. Cromatech has relied on Blickle wheels and castors for some time to make sure that their transport units, some of which weigh up to 1,000 kg, can be moved safely and reliably from point A to point B on train platforms and over long distances in rail depots. However, the equipment needed a lot of force to get rolling and stop.

Blickle had the ideal solution to meet this challenge: the ErgoMove® 1000 electric drive system. The system has a load capacity of 1,000 kg and reduces the amount of force required to get equipment moving to a minimum. An integrated inversion brake helps with braking. ErgoMove® also includes a steering support system. The system is controlled with an ergonomic handle which transfers the motions of the user to the drive castors.
Blickle’s experts tailored their solution to suit the service equipment of the Swiss company. The wheels needed to be able to bridge gaps of up to 60 mm so that they would not get stuck in the track. That’s why Blickle chose to fit twin wheel castors on Cromatech’s maintenance vehicles.

Blickle was also able to overcomes the challenges posed by the large number of inclines in the area. An easy-to-use locking system reliably locks equipment in place to prevent it rolling away on an incline. The integrated dead man’s brake is only unlocked if the system detects the user’s hands. The drive support system makes it easier to overcome inclines, while the inversion brake prevents runaway vehicles on slopes. Blickle and Cromatech used real world data to determine how steep these inclines could be in practice and configured the software of the ErgoMove® system accordingly. The batteries used by the system are quick and easy to replace, minimising downtime.

The plug and play drives are easy to install and intuitive to operate. Cromatech found it easy to integrate Blickle’s technology thanks to a tailored cockpit connector. A number of transport trolleys and mobile filling systems for grit were outfitted with ErgoMove® systems.

The Swiss company can also rely on Blickle’s support when it comes to after sales and servicing. In addition to a custom ErgoMove® solution, the manufacturer also benefits from a long-term partnership that extends far beyond the implementation of a single system.