Mersen Delivers Spare Parts for Railway Technology

Mersen is one of the few remaining manufacturers that can fill orders for aluminum electrolytic capacitors with threaded connections. The products of the S series are still required on a regular basis as important spare parts, especially in railway technology.

Image courtesy of Mersen. 

Conrad Zuse used them in his first commercial computer, without them tube radios would not have made any sound, and even today they ensure the proper functioning of railway switching and connecting components in older relay signal boxes: Capacitors of the FTCAP S series are truly an “oldie but goldie”. The special feature of these capacitors is the use of threads, which makes it possible to screw them into a suitable hole in a mounting plate. Although passive electrical components are now generally soldered to the printed circuit board in an automated process, this threaded connection technology still proves its worth today in large aluminum electrolytic capacitors for high current loads.

The Mersen portfolio includes three different models of the type S capacitors: In addition to the standard version with single capacitance (S series), the company also offers capacitor models with double and triple capacitance (SZ and SD series), as well as high-temperature variants up to 105 °C (SH series). On request, the legacy models can also be adapted to modern-day requirements for high capacitance and electric strength. Incidentally: Due to a donation of capacitors by Mersen, a type Z-22 Zuse computer built in 1959 still operates flawlessly at the Suderburg University of Applied Sciences.

About Mersen

Mersen, previously called Carbone Lorraine, is a French international company. A global expert in electrical power and advanced materials, Mersen designs innovative solutions to address its clients’ specific needs and enable them to optimize their manufacturing performance. It is based in 35 countries across the globe with 53 production facilities. The company also has 15 Research and Development centers. They provide industrial companies worldwide with innovative solutions enhancing the performance of their products and services. Mersen’s primary objective is to create value for customers. By leveraging our in-depth market knowledge and close customer relationships, we can capture future trends and effectively support industrial businesses in our five core markets.