Point machine H725: innovative technology for greater safety and availability

HANNING & KAHL debuted its new H725 point machine at this year’s InnoTrans. The electro-hydraulic drive is specifically developed to meet the requirements of modern railway infrastructure and combines high operational reliability and availability with a maintenance-friendly design. By Achim Schlink

Reliable railway operations place high demands on point machines. They must operate reliably even under demanding conditions, ensure high availability and require as little maintenance as possible. With the H725, HANNING & KAHL has developed a solution that is specifically designed to meet these requirements.

Safety at the forefront

The SIL 4-compliant development provides the basis for the highest level of functional safety. The innovative locking principle is a special feature of the H725, ensuring reliable route setting and secure, long-term locking of the point tongues.

Even under high mechanical loads caused, for example, by severe vibrations or shock loads in the direction of travel of the rail vehicle, the locking system ensures reliable operation without retroactive impact. This means the H725 is well-equipped for even demanding operating conditions.

Flexible to use and easy to integrate

The H725 is suitable for flat-bottom points of various designs and track gauges. Its compact dimensions, currently the shortest available, make it especially flexible: even where space is limited – for example on bridges and in tunnels – there’s enough room for the H725. This makes it ideal for installation conditions where conventional, longer designs reach their limits, and also opens up additional possibilities when planning and implementing point machines.

The universal electric interface ensures straightforward integration into existing systems, enabling connections to different controller/interlocking systems. At the same time, the H725 can be adapted to existing mountings, making it possible to replace point machines with minimal effort.

Easy and efficient maintenance

The new point machine is also designed for efficient maintenance. Many safety-relevant settings can be checked with the housing closed. An optional visual locking indicator also provides a quick and unambiguous on-site status check.

Another advantage: manual setting is possible from the side facing away from the track using all available cranks. This means that maintenance work can be sped up and downtime reduced.

For reliable railway infrastructure

With the H725, HANNING & KAHL is bringing a point machine to the market that combines safety, flexibility and ease of maintenance. The compact design, easy integration into existing infrastructure and locking principle make it a versatile solution for modern railway installations.

The presentation at InnoTrans provided an opportunity to introduce the new point machine to an international professional audience and showcase the technology through direct dialogue with customers and industry experts.