Ahead of other Japanese manufacturers, Hitachi Cable, Ltd. has announced the development of POLYENEX*1 halogen-free flame-retardant wires and cables that comply with the European EN standard*2 for railway applications.

Due to their low energy requirements and CO₂ emissions per traffic volume, railways have drawn significant attention in recent years as an ecosensitive mode of transportation. Efforts in foreign countries, particularly Europe and Asia, are currently seeking to expand and improve railway networks, generating growing overseas demand for railway cars and materials.

Until recently, each country tended to establish its own standards for railway cars and materials. To standardize industrial standards and to facilitate commerce among European nations, EU member nations have established and implemented a unified regional EN railway industry standard. The EN standard is recognized worldwide; many overseas markets for railway cars and materials, including those in the EU, now require compliance with this standard.

Hitachi Cable manufactures and supplies electric wires and cables for the internal wiring deployed in railway cars and onboard equipment, drawing on technologies cultivated through the production of various electric wires and cables. Winning high marks for consistent quality, these products are widely used in numerous contexts, including Shinkansen trains, conventional railway cars, and subway cars. Hitachi Cable boasts Japan's leading market share in this area.

Since the 1980s, Hitachi Cable has also manufactured electric wires and cables for export railway cars, delivering products incorporated into Taiwan's high-speed 700T trains and British Rail Class 395 trains. Until recently, the company developed and produced electric wires and cables for railway applications to meet the specific standards established in the country to which the products were exported. Hitachi Cable is well aware of the need to develop electric wires and cables for railway applications in compliance with the EN standard to strengthen its business in overseas markets that offer high future growth potential.

Against this backdrop, Hitachi Cable has developed POLYENEX halogen-free flame-retardant wires and cables that comply with the EN standard, becoming the first Japanese company to do so.

The EN standard stipulates criteria and requirements for numerous material characteristics and properties, including flame resistance and durability. To minimize adverse effects on humans in the event of fires involving cables, the EN standard emphasizes flame resistance and other fire safety characteristics, including low fuming and toxicity. The newly-developed POLYENEX cables feature a sheath material primarily composed of an engineering plastic mixed with a flexible elastomer and cross-linked polyolefine, generating superb resistance to oil and fuel and allowing the resulting product to meet all such requirements.

Hitachi Cable intends to pursue energetic development to improve the performance of electric cables. It also plans to expand its lineup of POLYENEX products to increase sales of electric cable products for various railway applications.

*1	Hitachi Cable has applied to register POLYENEX as a trademark.
*2	EN stands for European Norm.

Main POLYENEX product types

Application	Product name	Rated voltage	Rated temperature	External view
For power supply to control devices	POLYENEX EN50306-2	300V	105°C
	POLYENEX EN50306-4 3E	300V	105°C
For power supply to motors	POLYENEX EN50264-3-1	600V, 1800V	90°C