The VLEX 20 shunting solution is used at the South Korean metro in Seoul, for shunting tank wagons at Lanxess in Leverkusen and for loading lime at Rheinkalk Grevenbrück GmbH. The new VLEX 40 model with a tensile load of 40 kN and a weight of 10 tons doubles the application range of the 2-way solution from the previous 300 tons of the VLEX 20 to 600 tons, thus increasing flexibility when moving goods wagons or internal transport wagons.

In one-man operation, the radio-controlled all-round vehicle switches quickly and easily from the track to the road and back again. Its vehicle geometry with articulated steering and four individually controlled wheel hub motors make it maneuverable. They enable tire-friendly turning radii of just 7.2 m and even 360° turns on the spot. Solid rubber tires and the high dead weight ensure optimum traction. An oscillating axle guarantees ground and rail contact for all four wheels, so that potholes, height differences in the track or minor obstacles can be overcome without loss of traction. Track guide rollers are also lowered hydraulically for rail travel. "Companies often have several shifting areas in logistics or production. The VLEX then offers the necessary flexibility in shunting operations. By extending the application range to 600 tons, we are also responding to numerous customer requests that require four to five wagons to be shunted at the same time," explains Jürgen Schiemer, Head of Shunting Systems at Vollert.

In-house use at KORAIL and Stadler
Vollert presented its innovative VLEX 2-way vehicle for rail and road for the first time two years ago. Since then, the robust solution has proven itself successfully in rough railroad operations on sidings, in road and subway depots and in industry. What is important here is that the battery-operated VLEX can be used both indoors and outdoors.
indoors, also due to internationally increasing diesel exhaust protection regulations in closed halls. At the metro in Seoul, the state-owned South Korean railroad company KORAIL relies on a Vollert VLEX 20 to move wagons in different halls for maintenance purposes. The Swiss rail vehicle manufacturer
Stadler uses the VLEX solution for loading and unloading double-decker wagons in combination with a transfer table at its new plant in St. Margrethen.

For indoor and outdoor use
The 2-way robot from Vollert is also suitable for use on uneven and unpaved surfaces. At the chemical company Lanxess in Leverkusen, a VLEX is used to move tank and freight wagons outside of regular shunting operations. Rheinkalk Grevenbrück GmbH also relies on the robustness of the VLEX in its lime works under difficult conditions.
under difficult conditions, as the damp lime acts like soft soap on the tracks. Nevertheless, the VLEX takes four empty wagons at a time to the loading area, where there are points, curves and an incline on the track. The previous solution could only move and shunt one wagon at a time. The use of the VLEX shunting device therefore optimizes the shunting process in terms of time.