With new drive technologies, systems and functions, modern tram and urban rail systems are getting increasingly complex – and heavier as well. Additional weight means savings need to be made elsewhere. In collaboration with project partners RCS GmbH Rail Components and Systems, Arno Hentschel GmbH and Fraunhofer-Kunststoffzentrum Oberlausitz (FKO), HÖRMANN Vehicle Engineering GmbH has spent a year so far working on the development of a highly integrated lightweight roof structure for rolling stock, made from a load-optimised fibre-reinforced plastic, in a project known as INTEGRAL. The project is aimed at achieving considerable weight savings and making production and assembly processes more cost-effective. ‘Without new and innovative lightweight solutions, it will not be possible to meet operators’ requirements for the best-possible comfort and environmentally friendly credentials while simultaneously maximising axle loads for each vehicle,’ said Frank Salzwedel, managing director of HÖRMANN Vehicle Engineering GmbH.