ROLLING STOCK
A new approach to maintenance
The maintenance of rolling stock is a full time operation and, when repairs are needed to leaking bellows, train operating companies can ill-afford to take trains out of active service to carry out costly repairs. Malcolm Prentice, CEO of Garrandale, discusses a cost-effective solution the company has developed to minimise disruption and downtime.
We
are all familiar with the issues relating to the repair of leaking bellows and
the GRP front end, which is historically difficult to seal. For a start, the rolling stock needs to be taken out of active service, then there is the need for a crane to carry out the repairs – and that’s before the cost of the repair itself.
In short, it is both a labour intensive and costly operation and while in the past engineers have fashioned a solution using waterproof tape, the simple fact remains that this isn’t a long term solution.
Our reputation as a solutions provider, coupled with our experience of working within the rail industry, has led us to develop a revolutionary product that avoids the need for ugly, temporary repairs and the need for the replacement of significant components, such as EMU and DMU intermediate gangway bellows.
Revolutionary solution
One of the many problems associated with repairing bellows and sealing cab ends is that the repair needs to withstand the rigours of everyday operation.
Research into a solution for this led to the development of FlexiStop, a polymer coating which forms a seamless membrane and cures into a flexible waterproof coating.
FlexiStop has been used in military environments for many years and, as a result, its flexibility, good adherence and high tensile strength has been well-proven in a wide range of harsh conditions.
Its simplicity is perhaps one of its main benefits because it requires no specialist competency, training or long application times and it has minimum unit costs. So if you compare this to the current, complicated repair methods and the renewal costs, together with the inevitable impact of entire rail vehicles being out of service, you can see why it is proving to be a popular approach.
One of the key points to make is the fact that it can be applied during routine maintenance, and this is one area where the costs savings can be made. For example, FlexiStop can be easily applied during a heavy overhaul as an alternative to the renewal of gangway bellows. In addition to the reduction in costs associated with replacing bellows, there are
other
benefits as one application will revitalise the equipment, reducing the risk of further leaks and prolonging its life in service.
Maintenance liabilities
There are many advantages of liquid coating systems over traditional solutions, one of the main ones being that it is designed to adjust to
fixings, seams, welds and joints and as a result provides exceptional durability and a lasting barrier to water penetration. But perhaps where train operating companies can benefit the most from this approach is through reduced maintenance liabilities, both during and at the end of the franchise.
In addition to rolling stock maintenance, FlexiStop can also provide the ideal solution in the maintenance of flat roofs on buildings, where water ingress can lead to expensive damage to the structure beneath. A simple application of FlexiStop will form a permanent, seamless membrane and, because it will bond to numerous surfaces, it is not necessary to remove and dispose of the existing roof covering.
In the rail industry, routine maintenance to prevent water ingress is essential both for rolling stock and buildings but it doesn’t necessarily follow that the old ways are always the best. In fact this is a good example of a permanent solution that out-performs all of the methods which have been tried in the past.
So perhaps it is time to take a new approach, because surely in the longer term prevention is far more cost effective than cure?
www.garrandale.co.uk FOR MORE INFORMATION
rail technology magazine Jun/Jul 13 | 63
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