Lightweight and Low-Cost Composite beams for Rolling Stock Applications

This project will establish the potential application of a cost-effective composite beam to address the need for

lightweight structures in the rail industry. The composite beam moves away from traditional high-waste

composite solutions and is an alternative to metal components currently used in the rail sector. It will offer a

new way of designing car bodies and bogies and flexibility in the dimensions of the beam along its length, width

and height, supporting end-users’ needs. To demonstrate the possibility of using such beams for rolling stock, it

is essential to determine the performance of the composite structure in extreme conditions. The LoCoBeaSt

consortium is led by Far-UK Ltd, who has developed a patented composite beam technology called Axontex™,

and has WMG as an academic partner who will share its expertise in high-load and environmental testing. The

main project output will be a small-scale demonstrator verifying that a low-waste and affordable composite

beam can sustain extreme conditions and therefore be a new disruptive solution for the rail industry.