The welded coupler body design

Because of the complicated structure of coupler body, from the beginning of coupler-production there were only welded designs. By casting nearly each forming is possible. The problems in this case were moved from the coupler designer to the casting shop. A lot of moulds and cores are necessary to cast the coupler body. The following process for cleaning and aftertreatment is very expensive manual work. Automatisation of the process is possible only for few stages.

The first design of welded coupler bodies and test samples was made by France designers. All 'specialists' believed in this time, that the costs to realize a welded design exceeds the cost for cast-design. But the first calculations show the advantages of a welded design. At present - a time with high developed welding robots - the welded design will have even more advantages. But: The requirements for the designers are at a high level!

The designer of Waggonbau Bautzen in cooperation with the Institute for Schweißtechnik Halle developed a coupler body with only the arm and the large coupler horn casted. The other parts are forged and welded to the casted parts. The welding operations used minimized stresses and constitutional changes.