Products supplied by Alcoa Fastening Systems (AFS) have received official endorsement for use in the campaign to deter theft of valuable copper cable from the UK’s railway network, a crime which costs the industry GB£16 million per year.
Searching for a more robust solution to the easily removed nuts and bolts at spider junction boxes, Network Rail engineers in Newcastle upon Tyne approached the team at AFS. Following a series of rigorous trials and tests a Certificate of Acceptance was granted by the Network Rail Acceptance Panel, authorising the use of Huck® fasteners and associated installation tooling.
With installation training provided by AFS, Network Rail replaced the traditional nut and bolt system with Huck C50LR-BR20-12G and C6LB-R12-12G fasteners and using additional galvanised casing to house them, attached the cable to the track, as well as the junction box.
John Rickers, systems development manager at AFS, believes the solution is a superior upgrade. He said: “Stolen cable is not only expensive to replace but there are also the additional costs of labour and the inconvenience caused to railway customers. When a cable is cut or stolen, the area has to be located, isolated, jointed and tested, and depending on the level of the theft it may involve specialised teams to carry out the repair work. Nuts and bolts can be undone relatively quickly, Huck fasteners cannot and the longer it takes to attempt this, the more chance thieves have of being caught or aborting the theft in frustration. Attaining the Certificate of Acceptance from Network Rail is recognition that our fastening systems offer positive, practical solutions to businesses and organisations that not only save them money, but as in this case, aim to minimise the disruption caused to people’s everyday lives. We look forward to working with Network Rail in rolling the system out.”
Having spent a decade in the fastener industry experiencing every facet – from steel mills, fastener manufacturers, wholesalers, distributors, as well as machinery builders and plating + coating companies, Claire has developed an in-depth knowledge of all things fasteners.
Alongside visiting numerous companies, exhibitions and conferences around the world, Claire has also interviewed high profile figures – focusing on key topics impacting the sector and making sure readers stay up to date with the latest developments within the industry.
