Curtis Controllers keep on track in railway application

Harmill Systems is a company specialising in railway and plant engineering. Formed by the present Managing Director and based in Leighton Buzzard, Bedfordshire, they undertake specialised engineering projects resulting in award winning maintenance equipment for the railway industry. Harmill design and build systems to help people work safely and efficiently in demanding areas and install their own equipment all over the world. Over the years, expertise from trusted partners like Curtis Instruments (UK) has been utilised. Simon Hughes of Harmill regards Curtis “as a specialist company with a good reputation”. On occasions when technical assistance has been required Mr Hughes states Curtis have been found to be “very helpful with their in depth knowledge and we enjoy the connection that has developed”. This collaboration has been running now for several years and has helped produce a number of different machines, the latest being a battery powered multidirectional tug designed for moving carriages, bogies and other rail equipment around busy maintenance depots; it easily transfers from rail to ground to switch tracks ready for the next task. This 80 volt four-wheel drive 4-wheel steer tug utilises canbus technology and is operated by remote control ensuring safety and complete control for the user, as well as helping to achieve lower operating and maintenance costs. A full colour display keeps the operator informed of battery state of charge and system status. Harmill prefer Curtis’ E-Series Motor Controllers as they offer a superior combination of power, performance, functionality and, being fully compliant to EN ISO 13849-1, are CE marked as safety components. A very important factor for the sector in which these machines operate. By working in conjunction with Curtis Customer Support Engineers, essential equipment components are shown to meet current and projected safety requirements, are CE marked and provided with all necessary compliance documentation, meaning Harmill designers have one less concern and can proceed with their designs in confidence. Another Harmill range utilising Curtis E-Series Controllers, Gauges, Displays and Tiller Heads are powered hand carts and units. These include 500kg and 300kg carts with large wheels, a small turning radius and the ability to handle inclines and declines, making it ideal in tough environments for precision tasks like filling gearboxes with exact amounts of oil at the press of a button, or more general tasks like transporting tools or equipment in confined spaces. Harmill plan more collaboration with Curtis as “the products meet every need for best performance, particularly the likes of the motor controllers and the VCL system for customised controller programming” and Simon Hughes sums up the Curtis connection with a hint of plans for the future by stating “...we are developing new products such as big road and rail vehicles with Curtis in mind to maintain our market leadership”. Further information on Harmill Systems is available at www.harmill.co.uk. Information on the systems and services available from Curtis can be found at www.curtisinst.co.uk or by calling 01604 885201.

For more information on Curtis Controllers keep on track in railway application talk to Curtis Instruments (UK) Ltd