How AUMA Actuators Helped Protect Groundwater on Swedish Railways

AUMA electric actuators are helping to cut the risk of water pollution at Hallsberg junction, the largest railway yard in Scandinavia, by automating three underground sluice gates. The installation would have been difficult or impossible without AUMA’s modular actuator strategy. AUMA supplied three SA 10.2 multi-turn actuators with GST 10.1 spur gearboxes and AC 01.2 controls with Modbus interfaces to Trafikverket, the Swedish transport authority.

Trafikverket needs to be sure that in the event of an accident, fuel, chemicals and other spilled liquids do not contaminate the environment. The Hallsberg railway yard therefore has a dedicated drainage system for contaminated water. Instead of leaking into surface streams or groundwater, contaminated water flows into an underground chamber from where it can later be disposed of safely.

As part of an expansion project, Trafikverket asked AUMA to automate three existing 800 x 800 mm sluice gates mounted in pits below ground level. A requirement was that the actuators should allow local as well as remote operation, and be able to withstand temporary submersion.

The AUMA SA 10.2 actuators and their accessories fitted the bill, but there was a challenge: the narrow gap between each gate and the cover of its pit made installation tricky. Service technician Mikael Randestam took advantage of AUMA’s modular design, which provides great flexibility in mounting positions. He was able to mount the actuators pointing downwards so that they would fit the available space – an unconventional but effective solution.

Atkins Group, the contractor on this project, worked with AUMA and its Swedish subsidiary Erichs Armatur. “Erichs and AUMA helped us in a critical situation,” says Jonas Isaksson, Technical Manager Remote Control with Atkins Group. “They quickly carried out an on-site study, helped us to work out a good solution for the system requirements, and carried out the mounting. We are very pleased with the cooperation with Erichs and AUMA.”