Casestories
Case 1
FERRO – system supplier of a complete curved door system
FERRO and Bombardier Transportation Bruges entered into negotiations on the upcoming M6 project in November 1999, which involved 210 train carriages for the Belgian and French railways.
This was a project that was markedly different commercially and technically from previous projects, as it was the first time FERRO was to be the sole supplier of a complete curved door system, involving curved door mechanism, glass and door frames. It was also the first time we were to work in partnership with Bombardier Transportation in Belgium.
The technical aspects represented a series of challenges for our Product Development department, as the available space – particularly for the single curved doors – was very limited. The top of the single doors also had to have an angled top, giving the whole door 5 sides.
Getting a 5-sided door with curved glass to fit to the carriage’s curved sides was no easy task! And a great deal of development time was invested in the job, which even involved developing a new door mechanism and implementation of a new assembly rutine for making the curved door panels.
The development process therefore required a major effort from the entire company, with success depending on FERRO’s adaptability and flexibility.
The first delivery was made on 23.05.2001 and triggered the process of delivering 2 single and 2 double doors for all 210 carriages.
The final consignment will be delivered February 13th 2004, and negotiations are already under way for an extension of the M6 project for a further 125 carriages.