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Difficulties and challenges

INDUSTRIAL COMMUNICATION FOR RAILWAY

INDUSTRIAL COMMUNICATION FOR RAILWAY

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Railways are the cornerstone of many countries and play a key role in competitive ability, transporting goods to seaports and other distribution centers. The resilience of many countries depends on a multimodal transport system that effectively connects businesses to consumers, suppliers, markets and the global economy.

The rail market consists of three main segments: Rolling Stock, Systems Technology and Infrastructure. Within these three segments, LAPP focuses on the Rolling Stock segment and part of Systems Technology focuses on trains.

When dealing with passenger and freight transport, the main characteristics of the Rolling Stock business are high fire safety requirements to protect people and property.

All products used on trains in Europe must comply with the EN 45545-2 standard. In other regions of the world, other standards are required, such as GOST, NFPA 130 or CCC.

In order to standardize cables for rolling stock applications, cable standards have been developed, according to which LAPP also manufactures its TRAIN product line. LAPP has developed entirely new products in the area of ​​cables and wires, and has also qualified and tested existing products in the segments of cable glands, cable protection, cable marking and accessories.
To meet the requirements of these standards, TRAIN cables are cross-linked and meet the highest requirements for oil and chemical, mechanical and UV resistance, making them ideal for use in the harsh environments of other industries as well.


Cable products for the undercarriage industry are called ÖLFLEX® TRAIN, ETHERLINE® TRAIN and UNITRONIC®TRAIN.

Your challenges, our solutions!

Manual Handling of Loads – Cable Rollers

Manual Handling of Loads – Cable Rollers

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At Policabos it is frequently the handling of products with high weight, since all its products are sold in large quantities and, as they are made of metals and plastics, they become quite heavy. Thus, when these products have to be moved manually, it is an extremely delicate process.

The effort exerted in excess diminishes the capacity to work, increasing discomfort, uneasiness, pain, and causing an increased risk of injuries. 

One of the most recurrent injuries are herniated discs, which are the result of a weakening of the intervertebral disc, which shifts from its original position.

This injury can affect the cervical and lumbar region, and in the second case, it can take these discomforts to the legs and feet area. The main cause of herniated discs in younger people is inadequate posture on a daily basis, as well as the habit of carrying excessive weight. These factors lead to an overload of discs, which are overstrained and get injured. But it can also occur as a result of trauma.

According to data from the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work (EU-OSHA), 23.8% of all back injuries (in the EU) that occur at work are related to the manual handling of loads.

In Portugal, Decree-Law No. 330/93 of September 25 defines a load that is too heavy to be moved manually, all that is above 30 kg in occasional operations and above 20 kg in frequent operations.

To mitigate this problem, Policabos does not allow cable lengths exceeding 30 kg to be sent in a roll.

What made the prices and scarcity of materials rise?

What made the prices and scarcity of materials rise?

Disruptions in the supply chain since the beginning of the pandemic have led to substantial price increases and shortages of some raw materials.

Copper and aluminium (the primary raw materials for our products) increased by 40% and 60%, respectively, during this period.

The confinements caused a massive shortage of raw materials due to stops in extraction and processing. When economies began to become less defined, some countries took large amounts of raw materials, leaving many industries in other countries practically at a standstill, a situation that has been resolved.

In plastics, also essential raw materials for the manufacture of our products, there are also shortages of materials caused by factory shutdowns and difficulties in obtaining the basic products. This has led to increases that currently reach 80% compared to pre-pandemic values, with no major improvements in sight in the coming months.

With increases in energy prices reaching 40% in some countries, production costs were inflated and, consequently, final prices.

In the various packages (reels, pallets, cardboard, plastic) there were also shortages and increases, making it difficult to comply with the delivery times of the materials.

Transport has seen increases of more than 15% in land transport and 500% in maritime transport, mainly because of fuel prices. Furthermore, finding vehicles is still tricky, causing further delays and price increases.

At this moment, and since the beginning of the pandemic, we are faced with the existence of more expensive materials, longer delivery times, lack of availability of suppliers for new ranges and even prolonged stops at some suppliers.

How to overcome difficulties, maintain stable stock and satisfy customers?

  • Increase the stock of products with the highest turnover and those with longer delivery times;
    Anticipating consumption, negotiating and ordering on a scheduled basis;
  • Evaluate sales not only according to availability but also according to margins and replenishment times;
  • Carry out procurement from other sources, outside the mainstream of suppliers, in order to meet momentary and future needs;


Think globally and improve knowledge of the entire market, nationally and internationally, to identify future difficulties and improvement opportunities (albeit momentary) in certain suppliers.