Knorr-Bremse and the Berkelium Group establish a joint venture for the development and manufacture of brake shoes and kits made of organic materials for railway applications.
On 3 May, the agreement was signed to form a joint venture between Sociedad Española de Frenos, Calefacción y Señales S.A. (a subsidiary of Knorr-Bremse in Spain) based in Getafe, and Icer Brakes S.A. (a company that forms part of the Berkelium Group). The two companies, under the name ICER RAIL S.L., will work together on the development and manufacture of railway brake shoes and kits made of organic materials. “For Knorr-Bremse, participating in this joint venture is the logical next step in the development of our strategy for friction materials for the railway sector”, said Dr. Frank Gropengiesser, Chairman of the Executive Committee of Knorr-Bremse Systeme für Shienenfahrzeuge GmbH. After the acquisition of Anchor Brake Shoe, the leading manufacturer of brake shoes for locomotives and cargo cars in America, in 2008, the new joint venture with Icer Brakes is a sign of the on-going expansion of Knorr-Bremse’s product line, which now adds brake shows and kits for vehicles manufactured under the European UIC specifications. “Adding these friction materials to our product portfolio will allow us to offer our customers more complete service. Developing the brake systems and necessary friction materials at the same time generates advantages in terms of safety in regard to the required braking distances. At the same time, the global network of the Knorr-Bremse group will provide the joint venture with access to a large number of new markets”, added Dr. Gropengiesser. Juan Miguel Sucunza, CEO of the Berkelium Group and President of ICER RAIL S.L., added, “We’re excited with this collaboration with a leading company worldwide like Knorr-Bremse, which will make the new company a leader in the competitive world of friction materials for railway applications. The synergy of the know-how, capabilities, and objectives of both companies make this collaboration the perfect combination”.
Berkelium’s subsidiary, Icer Brakes S.A., enjoys an excellent reputation worldwide for the quality, long life, and performance of its products. The company’s product portfolio includes friction materials for railway applications, as well as for passenger cars and industrial vehicles.
The Knorr-Bremse Group is the world’s leading manufacturer of braking systems for railways as well as for industrial vehicles. For more than 100 years, the company has been a pioneer in the development, production, and sale of the best braking systems available. Other lines of business in the railway sector include automatic, electro-pneumatic or electric opening systems, air-conditioning systems, component control systems, and windshield wiper cleaners, as well as the platform screen doors. The product spectrum in the area of systems for industrial vehicles, in addition to complete brake systems, driver-assistance systems, rotating vibration silencers, and solutions related to propulsion tracks, such as the Pneumatic Booster System (PBS) and gear control for improved efficiency and lower fuel consumption.