Railway applications place special demands on electronics cabinets. In particular where the cabinets are used in mobile situations, high mechanical robustness together with shock and vibration resistance must be ensured. One cabinet that meets these needs is the Varistar Rail developed by Schroff. This cabinet is based on the flexible Varistar platform and is fitted with lateral stiffening to increase robustness.

Optional shock absorbers can increase the protection level still further. Test results to IEC 61587-1: 2000-01 indicate shock resistance up to 5g. Additional dynamic tests indicate earthquake safety up to Bellcore zone 4. The cabinet consists of an open, welded frame and can as required, for example, include a mounting plate in aluminium at the rear and a 19" swing frame at the front. Other customer-specific assemblies are also possible. If the cabinet is installed behind the interior cladding of the train, no cladding parts are required.

In this case, additional IP or EMC protection is also not required. In such situations the climate control and cooling of the components is assured by the existing interior air conditioning of the train. If direct integration is not possible, the shielding principle of the Varistar cabinet (frame and cladding elements) protects sensitive data from interference radiation (tested to IEC 61587-3).

The EMC sealing also provides protection from dust and water up to protection class IP 55. Scaleable, modular and energy-efficient cooling solutions provide optimal climate control for the components housed in the cabinet. The cabinet or frame is fixed to the train floor, roof or internal dividing wall. With dimensions of typically 1850 mm x 850 mm x 450 mm (height x width x depth) and an empty weight of 91 kg (without cladding elements) it offers the necessary space, robustness and low weight.