Rail-system maintenance and safety is a critical topic not only for meeting occupational-safety legislation but also for operational continuity, cost control and brand reputation. Lifting, securing and precisely positioning locomotives and wagons safely under tonnes of weight depends directly on the quality and engineering of the equipment used.
BM Makina’s own brand, DEMYKS rail jacks and auxiliary equipment, offers solutions that standardize safety in rail-system maintenance at this point.
Classic Challenges in Rail-System Maintenance
Problems frequently encountered in locomotive and wagon maintenance carried out by traditional methods:
- Insufficient or unsuitable lifting equipment
- Extended maintenance times, high downtime costs
- Non-standard practices open to operator error
- Chassis and component damage due to the equipment not being lifted from the correct point
- Working without safe locking-wedge systems
This picture increases both the safety risk and the total maintenance cost for rail-system operators. This is exactly where DEMYKS solutions, designed specifically for rail-system maintenance, come in.
DEMYKS Rail Jacks: The Foundation of Safe Lifting
DEMYKS rail jacks are heavy-duty lifting systems designed for the controlled lifting of locomotives and wagons on the rail.
Prominent features:
- High load capacity: a design with a high safety factor, suited to locomotive and wagon weights
- Safe locking mechanism: mechanical locking of the load after lifting — safe operation that does not depend on hydraulic pressure alone
- Rail-compatible design: special feet and adapters suited to the rail profile
- Synchronized operation capability: multiple DEMYKS jacks used together to lift the locomotive/wagon homogeneously
- Ease of use: operator-friendly control options
Thanks to this structure, DEMYKS becomes a brand associated with safety and stability whenever a “rail jack” is mentioned.
A Complete Solution with the Dummy Bogie and Turntable
Lifting alone is often not enough. After locomotive and wagon bodies are lifted, they must be safely transported, rotated or transferred to different tracks. Here DEMYKS’ auxiliary equipment comes into play:
Dummy Bogie
- Special carrier trucks that allow the body to be transported safely when the wheelsets of the locomotive or wagon chassis are removed
- A design adaptable to different axle spacings
- Enable safe, controlled movement of the body within the maintenance area
- When used together with DEMYKS jacks, form a complete locomotive lifting and transport system
Turntable
- A rotating-platform solution designed to change the direction of a locomotive or wagon body in a limited area.
- Facilitates operations such as changing the rail direction inside the maintenance hangar and transferring the body to different tracks.
- When used integrated with DEMYKS jacks and the dummy bogie, it provides a fully integrated rail-system maintenance infrastructure.
The Contributions of DEMYKS Solutions to Maintenance Processes
1. Safety Standardization
- Risky “improvised solutions” in rail-system maintenance are eliminated.
- Standard, tested and certified equipment is used for lifting, transport and rotation.
2. Time Saving and Workflow
- The return time of locomotives and wagons to service shortens.
- Planned maintenance becomes more predictable, and downtime costs fall.
3. Team Protection and Occupational Health
- The risk operators are exposed to while working under heavy loads is reduced.
- Thanks to ergonomic use and clear procedures, the probability of workplace accidents is minimized.
4. Equipment Life and Asset Management
- Because the body and chassis are lifted from the correct points with even distribution, structural fatigue decreases.
- Cracks, deformation and alignment problems caused by incorrect lifting are prevented.
BM Makina Integration: DEMYKS + KATO + VAHLE + BKB
One of the biggest advantages of DEMYKS solutions is that they are positioned within the BM Makina ecosystem. In rail-system projects, DEMYKS turns into a fully integrated rail-system maintenance solution together with:
KATO motorized cable reels
- Power supply for mobile platforms in the locomotive maintenance area
- Cabled power management of on-rail transport systems
VAHLE power transmission systems
- Uninterrupted power supply to rail transfer carts, maintenance lines and moving equipment inside the workshop
BKB & ALUBKB light crane systems
- Ergonomic material-handling solutions for in-workshop component lifting, spare-parts handling and assembly jobs
This way a maintenance facility can be equipped end to end with BM Makina solutions: lifting (DEMYKS) + transport (dummy bogie & turntable) + power supply (KATO & VAHLE) + in-workshop crane systems (BKB/ALUBKB).
How Is Safe Rail-System Maintenance Positioned with DEMYKS?
The strategic benefits of DEMYKS solutions for rail-system operators and maintenance firms:
- Compliance with national and international occupational-safety standards
- Predictability and repeatable processes in maintenance operations
- A higher availability rate (uptime) for locomotive and wagon fleets
- A lower total cost of ownership in the long term
DEMYKS rises to the position of a brand that should be mentioned together with the words “safety” and “standard” in rail-system maintenance.
