Animated image showing a mechanical device consisting of two gray rails connected by a central rod and several moving parts, demonstrating the mechanism's operation. The components, resembling precision Schmiedeteile, move back and forth seamlessly.

Claw lock devices

Safety and reliability are the core features of claw lock devices. By keeping a firm grip on the point blades, they ensure problem-free railway operations and contribute to cost efficiency in the maintenance and servicing area.

Reduced maintenance
Environmentally-friendly operation
Lower servicing costs
Your benefits
Technical description
Application areas
Delivery & dispatch

Our claw lock devices

In rail and switch technology, the claw lock devices is of crucial importance when it comes to the safety and reliability of rail traffic. As an integral component of points, they enable trains to switch safely from one track to another. Their main task is to fix the moving parts of a point in their intended end position.

This ensures that trains can roll over the point without any issues. The robust material properties and firm anchoring also prevent external forces caused by train traffic or environmental influences from inadvertently changing the points. The modern design of our clamp locks guarantees a long service life and ensures that they will function reliably over a long period of time and require little maintenance. This not only contributes to the rail network having a high degree of availability, but also significantly reduces operating costs.

Bharat Forge CDP Railsystems

Your capable partner for points, locking systems and railway infrastructure

Dirk Betzinger
Head of Business Unit Railsystems

Your contacts

We would be pleased to assist you personally with any concerns you may have. We are available Monday-Friday from 9 am to 4 pm, and you can contact us either by phone, email or via our contact form.

Your questions - our answers

Does CDP Rail Systems also provide training on how to assemble claw lock devices?

Yes, CDP Railsystems has developed its own training programme especially for the EVZ calw lock device. We offer this training to customers directly on site. During this training programme, we not only provide employees with the expert knowledge they need regarding the design and functioning of our claw lock device. Correct installation in the signal box is also trained in a practical exercise. At the end of the training course, all participants will have the necessary experience to avoid errors during the installation process and maintenance operations in the future.

How is the training programme for low-maintenance claw lock devices structured?

The training programme is divided into a theoretical part and a practical part, with each taking around 2-3 hours. In the theoretical part, we provide fundamental expert knowledge about the structure and functioning of the claw lock device as well as necessary servicing measures. In the practical part, we then provide step-by-step training on how to properly assemble the stock rail and switch rail. All participants will receive a certificate at the end of the programme by request.

Why is it worth switching to EVZ?

The standardised lock for switch rollers can be assembled and adjusted very quickly compared to other locking systems. The EVZ was specially developed by CDP Rail Systems on behalf of Deutsche Bahn AG and has been part of the standard locking system within the DB AG network since 2016. It allows us to guarantee a very high degree of availability regarding our locks, which also makes it much easier to replace wearing parts. The EVZ and EVH have approval from the Federal Railway Authority (Eisenbahn-Bundesamt, or EBA).

Which claw lock device is best suited to our requirements?

The following information is required in order to determine how a claw lock device should be designed:

  • Travel distance
  • Stock rail gap (running edge)
  • Switch impact
  • Rail profile type
  • Type of drive unit
  • Point design
  • Specific features

If you have any further questions regarding the design of a claw lock device, you can get in touch for advice from our contact partners at any time.

Can I adjust the switch impact and the overlap with EVZ?

With the standard EVZ, the values for the switch impact and the overlap are predefined by the selected lock type. Manual adjustment is not possible in this instance. However, it is different with the EVZ with Unibar, which was developed and patented by CDP Railsystems. Both values can be set manually in this case.

Which tools are required to assemble the claw lock device?

All the tools that are required to install a lock are specified in our instructions. However, CDP Rail Systems has also developed a special EVZ Toolkit in order to ensure that you will be optimally prepared for every installation in future without having to go searching for the right tool beforehand. It contains a complete tool set that can be used for all types of locks. The EVZ Toolkit can be ordered from us at any time upon request.