With the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa’s (PRASA’s) latest announcement of a R51-billion ten-year investment in the procurement of 600 new, modern commuter and passenger trains, the rail sector holds significant opportunities for electrical and mechanical components supplier Elquip Solutions, says company internal sales manager Marius Scheepers.

“As such, to meet the rail industry’s industrial equipment demands, we are providing a range of conduits that have been specifically designed for the technical demands of the rail industry worldwide,” he adds.

The conduits, which include metallic and nonmetallic varieties, are manufactured by UK-based flexible conduit solutions provider Flexicon. “Elquip Solutions has had a long and proud association with Flexicon, an innovative and dynamic company which has developed a large range of conduits and related products to suit every conceivable application.”

He adds that Elquip was the first company to introduce Flexicon to the South African market “as one of our quality global brands”.

“We are proud to hold Flexicon’s stock in our portfolio and believe there is wide scope for its use in South Africa’s fast-growing rail industry. PRASA’s revitalisation programme and major investment in new rolling stock will mean a new era of state-of-the-art rail equipment and technology in South Africa,” he notes.

He says Flexicon’s product range for the rail industry matches PRASA’s vision in that it represents the latest developments in conduit technology. “We are excited to be able to bring the Flexicon rail product range to the growing South African market,” he adds.

Flexicon conduits are robust, self-extinguishing – therefore, suitable in any potentially fire-hazardous environment – and easy to install. “They are also competitively priced and readily available,” says Scheepers.

He says the two broad product ranges of conduits are available from 10 mm to 106 mm in diameter. In addition, Flexicon has a wide range of patented fittings as well as locking and nonlocking connectors that are designed for ease of use and are adaptable for varied applications.

When it comes to the rail industry, tensile strength characteristics, weight, corrosion resistance, fire performance properties and operating temperature ranges are all factors to consider. Added to this are the specifications related to a passenger rail environment, such as aesthetics, low fire hazard and ease of installation in confined spaces, notes Scheepers.

“Having been designed to meet all these requirements of the rail environment, Flexicon conduits are highly robust but offer ease of use and installation,” he notes.

He says, in addition to rail, Flexicon also supplies a number of industries worldwide, including photovoltaic, moving machinery, electrical contracting and mining.

Elquip Solutions has supplied a number of projects within the South African rail industry with Flexicon’s metallic range manufactured in galvanised steel or stainless steel. The nonmetallic range is manufactured from materials such as nylon, offering different properties according to the demands of the environment, he concludes.