REBS Zentralschmiertechnik
REBS Zentralschmiertechnik is a German family-owned manufacturer of central lubrication systems, supplying wheel flange lubrication and rail conditioning equipment for rail vehicles from Ratingen, North Rhine-Westphalia.
Alexander Aristides Rebs developed and filed a patent for the first progressive distributor in 1936; he founded REBS Zentralschmiertechnik twelve years later, in 1948, building the company around that metering technology, which remains central to its lubrication systems today. The company is family-run in its third generation, with Alexander Rebs and Harald Rebs — grandsons of the founder — as managing directors.
Development and manufacturing are concentrated at the Ratingen site.
According to the company, it employs more than 150 staff worldwide. The group includes REBS Turbolub GmbH and subsidiaries in Shanghai and Mumbai.
Lubrication systems for rail
Within bearings and lubrication, REBS occupies the lubrication side of the field: onboard systems that manage friction at the wheel–rail interface rather than the bearings themselves. Its rail portfolio covers wheel flange lubrication (WFL), top of rail treatment (TOR) and contact wire de-icing.
The WFL system uses a single supply line to feed a patented distributor, which meters an oil–air mixture to nozzles positioned at the wheel flange. As successive wheels roll past the treated flange, contact transfer spreads the lubricant further along the wheelset.
The systems are fitted at the bogie, one of several rolling stock components where wear management sits close to the wheel–rail interface, on trams, metros, multiple units and locomotives, reducing flange wear and curve squeal. Top of rail treatment applies friction modifiers to the running surface to manage adhesion and noise without compromising braking.
Market position
According to the company’s current certifications, REBS holds DIN EN ISO 9001, DIN EN 15085-2 for welding of rail vehicles and components, and IRIS (International Railway Industry Standard). Rail is one of several segments alongside the steel, automotive and chemical industries.
Its published rail references include German urban operators such as ViP Verkehrsbetrieb Potsdam, Cottbusverkehr and Stadtwerke Erfurt. The company holds a German patent, granted in 2011, covering a device and method for distributing a lubricant flow transported by a gas stream.
Recent activity
Trade press has reported Delhi Metro contracts for onboard wheel flange lubrication: a 2021 order for 64 train sets on the Yellow Line, awarded jointly to the German parent and its Indian subsidiary, and a later order for 44 train sets on the Violet Line, awarded to the Indian subsidiary. REBS is listed as an exhibitor at InnoTrans 2026 in Berlin, taking place 22–25 September 2026.
