Mechan - Railway Depot and Workshop Equipment

Using traditional engineering skills, innovative design and advanced technology, Sheffield engineering group Mechan supplies specialist heavy-lifting, handling and control equipment for train maintenance depots. Products include jib cranes, lifting jacks, wheelset and bogie drops, bogie rotators and lifters and an extensive range of peripherals designed to enhance the productivity of its in-house lifting equipment.

Intelligent lifting jacks

Mechan's intelligent lifting jacks incorporate tough yet refined hardware and an 'intelligent' Micro-Link control system that enables co-ordinated multiple use of jacks to a 3mm tolerance. Operations may be controlled safely and accurately from any of the linked jacks.

Flexibility of installation is provided by Mechan's mobile jacks, which have either a fixed or moving anvil. They are quick to set up, interlink and substitute if necessary, whilst rail-mounted jacks with moving anvils can also be provided. The Mechan range, from 5t to 45t, has been devised to cater for all uses including trams, metros, light rail systems, main lines or heavy on-track plants.

Mechan's general-purpose lifting products, including swing jib cranes, have various rail applications. Cranes may be freestanding or wall-mounted, with either chain or wire rope hoists. More than 700 formats are available, with standard capacities up to 5t.

Bogie drops

Demand for bogie and wheelset drop systems has surged, as train operators maintain the latest rolling stock at purpose-built traincare centres. At many locations, Mechan bogie drop systems were specified in the original depot design.

Drop systems facilitate safe and swift removal and replacement of entire bogies, wheelsets and underfloor units from rail vehicles without decoupling. This makes a bogie change feasible within two hours, whilst time can also be saved on other under floor work.

The scissor-type hydraulic system has been used at some depots, but Mechan's 'intelligent' screw-jack mechanism is now favoured for its operating qualities and its greatly reduced pit-depth, which minimises civil costs.

Bogie lifting platforms

Bogie lifting platforms are designed to make maintenance easier, allowing the operator to raise the bogie to a comfortable working height. Platforms are located within the workshop floor and when a bogie needs to be lifted, they are activated via the control unit or remote handset. The two rail sections rise up until they are at the desired working height.

Bogie turntable

Mechan's bogie turntable is used to transfer bogies between roads within maintenance facilities. It is designed to enable complete rail vehicles to roll over it at low speed, whilst the wheelset turntable transfers wheelsets between roads in maintenance facilities.

Bogie frame rotators

Bogie frame rotators lift and rotate a bogie during maintenance and refurbishment, providing access to all areas in an ergonomic and safe manner. They are fitted with rotating faceplates on the front of the lifting carriages and have modified feet to provide a wide and stable base. These rotators work in pairs, controlled from a single panel mounted at the rear of the master unit.

Bogie handling equipment

Other handling equipment offered by Mechan includes wheelset lifting beams, bogie stands, low and high level stands and one-piece bogie-stacking frames.

Depot / workshop peripherals

Mechan is now the approved UK and Ireland supplier of train washing equipment and controlled emission toilet systems from Aquafrisch, the Calipri wheelset measurement device from NextSense, access platforms and sandbox filling systems from Bertolotti, and Gruniverpal Tranchero's mobile cranes and access equipment.

About Mechan

With more than 40 years' experience in the rail sector, Mechan is active in new product development and has established an unrivalled reputation for quality, safety and reliability.

The company enjoys success at home and overseas and boasts long-standing relationships with some of the most prestigious names in the transport industry, including Siemens, Alstom, Bombardier, Hitachi, Network Rail and Hong Kong’s MTR Corporation.