The DT5 multiple unit train, developed by the consortium Alstom/Bombardier Transportation under a contract from Hamburger Hochbahn AG, makes extensive use of material from ThyssenKrupp Nirosta. The body of the DT5 is made completely from Nirosta 4318 stainless steel and is based on a new lightweight design concept.
Alstom LHB is responsible for the design of the new-generation metro trains, which will soon enter service in Hamburg.
“With its high yield strength and good corrosion resistance, 1.4318 is ideal for lightweight construction,” said Wolfgang Gebel from ThyssenKrupp Nirosta technical customer support. “Even thin panels display high strength and rigidity.”
“We decided to do without external painting altogether,” said Andreas Knitter, Alstom CEO. “Stainless steel surfaces are easier to clean, make expensive painting superfluous, and the high stainless steel content translates into another benefit for the environment: The new vehicles are made of 95% recyclable material.”
The stainless steel panels used for the outer structure were provided with a special ground finish at ThyssenKrupp Nirosta to make the surface less sensitive and give it a “silky shine.”
The full order includes the delivery of up to 67 vehicles by 2015. ThyssenKrupp Nirosta notes that road and rail vehicles are an important market with major growth potential.
“Environmental protection is becoming more and more important all over the world,” said Gebel. “We expect a renaissance of urban rail transit and a major expansion of networks, combined with modernization of the vehicle fleet, which we intend to benefit from. Various possibilities of use, very good formability, and in particular sustainability mean that more and more manufacturers in the transportation sector are turning to stainless steel.”
ThyssenKrupp Nirosta (Krefeld) is a leading producer of stainless steel flat products with a wide range of steels, sizes, and finishes. The company has several sites in Germany and employs around 4200 people.
Alstom is a world market leader in the energy and transportation sector. The group employs more than 80,000 people in 70 countries and won orders worth 18.7 billion euros in 2008/2009. In Germany, Alstom operates 15 sites and has around 7000 employees.
With more than 4400 employees, Hamburger Hochbahn is Germany’s second largest urban transit company and the biggest partner in the Hamburg transit network (HVV). Operating three metro lines and more than 100 bus lines, the company transports around a million passengers a day.