Reliable Vacuum Toilet for trains around the world
Case
Automation/Machinery
Semvac's high-tech vacuum toilets are already widely recognized, but by significantly increasing the quality of a central subsystem, the sanitary system can now roll into markets where Semvac has previously had to give way to competitors.
Application
Toilet
Sanitation
Automatics
Valve
Vacuum system
Train and track technology
The challenge
Semvac manufactures compact vacuum toilets for modern railcars in most of the world. For many years, Betech has supplied a molded rubber valve that opens and closes when emptying the toilet bowl.
In its collaboration with a European train manufacturer, Semvac wants the system approved for a higher class of trains, including the latest generation of high-speed trains, the ICNG class.
But this requires the valve to be tested to a whopping 300,000 trouble-free suctions - which is roughly a 50 percent increase in the guaranteed service interval.
The solution
To ensure the desired quality and durability, Betech has worked with Semvac's development department to adjust both the vacuum system and the rubber bellows (valve) design.
The change has led to a simplification of the toilet's design, and with a new casting tool, the molded valve has also been optimized so that the application can meet the requirement for lifetime extension and reliability.
Added value for the customer
The new solution means that the critical rubber bellows subsystem now performs with a large safety margin in relation to the required quality.
The lifespan of the application is extended to such an extent that Semvac gains a competitive edge and can sell the vacuum toilets to a new market segment.