WATER TANK: Roof-mounted air-conditioning units can limit the space available for overhead water tanks on passenger cars, so Goa-based Kineco has developed a filament-wound composite under-floor tank which is now in service with Indian Railways.

The non-corroding composite tank is designed as a single piece with semi-ellipsoidal dish ends and produced using a four-axis filament winding process. The 450 litre tank is 1·5 m long. The manufacturer says the composite tanks save 120 kg per carriage when compared to equivalent metal units, and are also easier to handle. A polypropylene shield protects the tank from flying ballast.