Schaeffler showcases axlebox generators and power-on-demand actuators for automated rail freight at InnoTrans 2026
At InnoTrans 2026 in Berlin, Schaeffler is showing an axlebox generator, its ITRS power system and electromechanical actuators that it says can automate rail freight wagons.
- 10 kN to 50 kN
- EMA50 to EMA100
- Hall 21, Booth 430
What Happened
Schaeffler is presenting three system components at InnoTrans 2026 in Berlin, in Hall 21, Booth 430: an axlebox generator, the modular power system ITRS (Innovative Technology for Railway Systems) and electromechanical linear actuators. The company says these components are already readying freight wagons for automated and interconnected rail logistics, as it aims to shape the rail freight transport of the future. First projects are already undergoing field tests.
“Our innovations form the basis for automated processes in rail freight transport, whether for digital automated couplers or automated opening and closing systems. They enable loading and unloading processes to be accelerated while substantially reducing downtimes. A reliable and operationally safe power supply is a key prerequisite for the ongoing development of such solutions – and that's precisely what we are facilitating in collaboration with our partners in the rail industry.”
As a key component of the ITRS system architecture, Schaeffler's axlebox generators offer an autonomous power supply for rail freight wagons and provide the technical basis for digitalization, connectivity and automation in rail freight transport. They generate energy within the power system and represent a permanent and reliable energy source for electronic components. The generators are designed for standardized European bogie configurations and axles in rail freight transport — the Y25 and UIC standard — so they can be used in new vehicles or retrofitted to existing freight wagons.
- Automatically triggering actuators that open and close tarpaulins, doors and hatches on bulk cargo wagons
- Electronic components used for communication
- Sensors that capture load status
- GPS trackers
- Automated brake testing
With its EWELLIX electromechanical linear actuator series CAHB-2xE and CAHB-2xS — the latter smart variants with an integrated controller — plus the powerful EMA series of high-performance linear actuators ranging from EMA50 to EMA100 and 10 kN to 50 kN, Schaeffler is replacing pneumatic or hydraulic systems with a highly efficient alternative. In harsh railway operations these actuators support the digital monitoring of positions and speeds and are largely unaffected by temperature fluctuations over a large range. They work according to the power-on-demand principle, using energy only when directly activated. In the event of an unforeseen power failure they are self-locking, which keeps the flaps in a secure position.
- Pneumatic or hydraulic systems
- EWELLIX CAHB-2xE and CAHB-2xS plus EMA50 to EMA100 actuators
- Power-on-demand; self-locking on power failure
Schaeffler is working with its Slovenian partner Realtronik on solutions for automating rail freight wagons based on the modular, integrated system ITRS, a power system made up of a Schaeffler axlebox generator and a coordinated battery management system from Realtronik that provides a high-performance onboard power supply. The first successful pilot projects in the market using the power system are receiving positive feedback from customers, which Schaeffler says highlights the need to push technologies for the automation of freight wagons to increase the share of rail freight in the overall market. The approach is bottom-up with incremental extensibility depending on requirements and degree of automation, which the company says enables fast and cost-efficient automation and digitalization.
Why this matters
Schaeffler says these components are what allow freight wagons to be automated, digitalized and connected — and because the axlebox generators fit existing Y25 and UIC bogies, they can be retrofitted rather than requiring a new fleet. That matters to rail freight operators, logistics firms and wagon builders working to raise rail's share of the overall freight market, and to Schaeffler's Slovenian partner Realtronik.
Terms in This Story
- Axlebox generator
- A generator mounted on a rail wagon's axlebox — the housing around the axle bearing — that supplies electricity onboard the wagon.
- ITRS
- Innovative Technology for Railway Systems, Schaeffler's modular power system for rail freight wagons.
- Bogie
- The wheeled undercarriage assembly of a rail vehicle that carries the axles and supports the wagon body.
- Electromechanical linear actuator
- A device that produces straight-line motion using an electric motor and mechanical drive instead of compressed air or hydraulic fluid.
Summarised from the linked release; details can be imperfect — always verify against the original source.