Brake cylinders for disc cars are essential components of the disc brake system that is increasingly used in rail transport. They are responsible for transferring the energy from the pneumatic system to the brake shoes that hold and slow the wagons.
A disc brake is a system for holding and stopping wagons by applying pressure to the wheel discs. It provides better performance and less component wear than traditional brake pads.
Read more about the train braking system.
Advantages of brake cylinders
Disc brakes have a number of advantages over traditional end brakes, including:
- More efficient: Disc brakes can generate more stopping power than end brakes, resulting in shorter stopping distances.
- Longer pad life: Disc brakes have longer pad life than end brakes because the pads are not in contact with the rails.
- Better cooling: Disc brakes are cooled better than end brakes, which reduces pad wear.
Disadvantages of brake cylinders
Disc brakes also have some disadvantages, including:
- Higher cost: Disc brakes are more expensive than final brakes.
- More complex design: Disc brakes have a more complex design, which makes them more difficult to maintain and repair.
Application of brake cylinders
Disc brake cylinders are used in a wide range of applications including:
- Passenger Cars: Disc brakes are standard on most modern passenger cars.
- Freight cars: Disc brakes are becoming increasingly popular in freight cars as they offer greater efficiency and safety.
- Metro: Disc brakes are standard on most metro systems.
In wagons with a disc brake, there are two brake discs between the wheels on each axle of the wheel axles. For each brake disc there is an individual lever brake system with its own brake cylinder. All four brake cylinders in one bogie are supplied with the same pressure.
Or we have a total of eight cylinders, four per bogie. Personally, I am most familiar with Knorr and DAKO disc wagon cylinders.
That’s why in this article I will write about them.
In BDZ, these cylinders are mainly used in passenger cars and are Knorr.
Read more about Railway air-brake hoses.
Brake cylinder
Brake cylinders for disc brakes have an integrated adjustment mechanism that only works in the direction of pad wear (simple acting).
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