P-1247-EN
09.2018
DISTRIBUTOR VALVES
FOR GLOBAL APPLICATIONS
 UIC
 AAR
 AAR
 GOST
  Other / no significant freight
Valve technology that can address the needs of the world’s trains. Being able to serve a global
market means delivering products to meet very specific and often demanding requirements – for
example a valve with the ability to operate in extreme environmental and climatic conditions such
as temperatures down to -60 °C!
At the heart of pneumatic brakes is the distributor valve.
This reacts precisely to changes in brake pipe pressure and
provides the corresponding brake cylinder pressure. Modern
valves are sophisticated pieces of technology, providing
load-dependent braking for various specific brake types.
Millions of these valves are in daily use all over the world,
but they are not a “universal” product: various regions have
different standards that have been established over the
years and are not compatible with one another.
LEADERS IN DISTRIBUTOR VALVE
TECHNOLOGY
Many years of operational experience combined with
new, continuous development and research and a
recognition that life-cycle costs need to be reduced have
helped establish Knorr-Bremse as a leader in distributor
valve technology. The Knorr-Bremse KE distributor valve
for example is extremely popular in the core European UIC
market, and having proved itself in operation the valve
RAIL
VEHICLE
SYSTEMS
D I S T R I B U TO R VA LV E S
Distributor Valves
Knorr-Bremse Systeme für
Schienenfahrzeuge GmbH
Moosacher Straße 80
80809 Munich
Germany
Tel: +49 89 3547-0
Fax: +49 89 3547-2767
WWW.KNORR-BREMSE.COM
APPLICATIONS
has now become synonymous with absolute reliability. Freight Cars | Locomotives | Passenger Coaches
In American and African markets the DB60 distributor
valve is the standard valve which uses AAR technology,
and in Australia the AAR system is employed for trains
­carrying heavy ore. The Australian railways system ARA
operates with Knorr-Bremse W-series valves. In close
­collaboration with the Russian State railway company,
Knorr-Bremse has developed valves for use on 1520 mm
gauge tracks. Specially designed to fit vehicles in markets
with 1520 mm gauge, the units are compatible with older
valve types and offer clear ­advantages for the operator.
While valves are designed to operate down to -40 °C or
even lower in Europe and North America, temperatures
in Russia can fall to as low as -60 °C! Due to the same
­construction principles, all distributor valves have in
­common long maintenance intervals and low life-cycle
costs and are characterized by their robust, reliable and
weight-saving design.
This publication may be subject to alteration without prior notice. A printed copy of this document may not be the latest revision. Please contact your local Knorr-Bremse representative or check our website
www.knorr-bremse.com for the latest update. The figurative mark “K” and the trademarks KNORR and KNORR-BREMSE are registered in the name of Knorr-Bremse AG. Copyright 2018 © Knorr-Bremse AG. All
rights reserved, including industrial property rights applications. Knorr-Bremse AG retains all power of disposal, such as for copying and transferring.
 RAIL
VEHICLE
D I S T R I B U TO R VA LV E S SYSTEMS

MAIN FEATURES:
n Covers all existing KEdv distributor
valve variants
n Improved spare parts & stock manage-
ment – standard distributor valve
n Reduced installation space and weight
n Standardized car interface
KEf – FOR UIC MARKET
n Distributor valve KEf in conjunction
with relay valve family KRf covers all
market requirements
n Graduated application and release
n Proven in service around the world
n Seamless integration into various car
types due to kit design
KAB60 – FOR 1520 MM LIFE-CYCLE ASSESSMENT – FOCUS PRODUCT CARBON FOOTPRINT
GAUGE FREIGHT MARKET Distributor valve, Type: KEf saves 52% CO2-emissions during its lifetime
n Integrated changeover for graduated / compared to the distributor valve, Type: KE0dvKSL
direct release and for load settings
n Designed for accelerated brake signal Distributor valve, Type: KE0dvKSL
transmission Distributor valve, Type: KEf
100.0
n Improved control of long and heavy 100
trains
n Meets the requirements of Russian KEf valve
standards
n Interchangeable with other 1520 mm
80
gauge freight distributor valves
n Interoperable with automatic
load brake valves
63.6
n Working temperature -60 °C to +60 °C
(+80 °C for de-icing) 60

Result [%]
KEf DISTRIBUTOR VALVE n Interchangeable with all UIC-
KAB60 valve
approved distributor valves EP60 – FOR AAR FREIGHT 48.1
n Indirect EP brake possible MARKET
n Working temperature -40 °C to +70 °C n Electronically controlled pneumatic 40
36.4 35.5
(low- temperature version for -50 °C (ECP) brake system
NEW GENERATION DISTRIBUTOR VALVE bracket, distributor valve and relay valve the overall weight available) n Simultaneous signal transmission
KEf FOR UIC MARKET could be reduced by up to 30%, as well as the required through the train
After over six decades in operation, the KE distributor valve installation space by up to 50%. DB60 – FOR AAR FREIGHT n Load-compensated braking at each
20
kit was re-engineered from the ground up. When the first MARKET wagon
KE valve entered service in 1953, its engineers had written a Even the standard version now fits vehicles with limited n Graduated application and direct n Graduated application and release DB60 valve 11.3
new chapter in railroad history. The KEa was the first distrib- installation space – such as low-floor cars – without any release n Meets AAR performance and
utor valve capable of always filling the brake cylinder within special modifications. The ready-for-future tag is no adver- n Designed for accelerated service interoperability specifications per 0.9 0.4
the prescribed time, regardless of size and piston stroke. It tising gimmick – the valves have been designed to be ready brake signal transmission S-4200 0
replaced high-maintenance mechanical slide valves with for the digitalization of freight cars. n Improved control of long and n Improved handling of long, heavy Total Manufacturing and Use Phase Recycling and
Component Production End of Life
reliable rubber membranes and seat valves. Furthermore, heavy trains trains, providing shorter stopping
the entire design was based on a modular principle. The A carefully conceived, universal common parts strategy n Separation of service and emergency distances and saving energy
idea was to make the valve capable of adapting as flexibly also lies at the heart of this approach. The requirements of brake portions n On-line diagnostics at each wagon
as possible to potential requirements. a wide range of vehicle types can be met extremely flexibly n Interchangeable with all AAR- EP60 valve
with just one distributor valve and a handful of relay valve approved distributor valves
As a result of continuous development – and new techni- variants. n Working temperature -40 °C to +66 °C
cal standards – there are now approximately 500 versions
of the KE valve existing, plus countless components. As The required type tests and field trials for certification have WF5 – FOR ARA FREIGHT
a result, the decision was taken to develop the KEf, a been successfully conducted – TSI and UIC certifications ­MARKET
completely new KE distributor valve generation. It will be have been obtained. n Graduated application and direct
complemented by a newly developed kit featuring single- release
stage, two-stage and load-dependent relay valves. Furthermore extensive endurance testing was conducted n Designed for operation on longer
WF5 valve
to preserve at least the same high mission reliability and freight trains
Solid sand-cast designs have been replaced by state-of-the- long overhaul intervals of the existing generation. All wear n High brake signal propagation rates
art hot-pressed aluminum parts. Whereas formerly the pilot parts of the new KEf have been designed for best-in-class resulting in reduced stopping distances
volumes of the distributor and relay valves used up a lot of durability. When a valve needs to be overhauled, the and in-train forces
space and material in cast housings, this installation space bracket simply remains on the car. All modules requiring n Working temperature -10 °C to +70 °C
now elegantly disappears in the bracket. This makes maintenance are easy detachable from the bracket and
the valve portions significantly lighter by up to 75% and are lightweight.
more compact by up to 55%. Also for the complete unit of