Need for Adhesives & Sealants for Indian Railways
Indian Railways use a wide range of adhesives and sealants. These materials serve many critical applications. So, what makes them essential for the railway industry?
First, safety matters most. At the same time, passenger comfort and long service life remain key goals. Adhesives and sealants quietly support all three. Although often unnoticed, they play a vital role in building reliable and durable trains. Therefore, manufacturers use them extensively for both interior and exterior applications.
Moreover, adhesives and sealants support almost every stage of railway manufacturing. From design and production to inspection and maintenance, they remain essential. They serve all rail systems, from high-speed trains to light rail transit.
Indian Railways applications include:
• New engines and locomotives, such as DLW and CLW
• Strip-down maintenance of diesel locomotives, for example DMW Patiala
• In-running locomotive maintenance at sheds like Tughlakabad, Howrah, and Hubli
• Railway coach manufacturing at RCF Kapurthala, ICF Chennai, and Raebareli Coach Factory
• Strip-down maintenance of coaches at Jagadhri Workshop and Lucknow Coach Factory
• “Sick Line” running maintenance of rakes
• Signalling and track maintenance
• Station maintenance activities
Finally, RDSO Lucknow evaluates and approves all design or technology changes. Here too, adhesives and sealants support innovation and performance.
Challenges for Indian Railways
Indian Railways is Nation’s largest transporter of people and goods. It is also the largest employer. Railways is poised to grow using better technology and management structures. So what are the chief challenges Indian Railways is working to overcome.
Safety : Human lives can be compensated with anything and 8.5 billion (approx) human lives have been transported in 2019. Any development, change needs to be vetted from safety officials too.
Reduced travel time, more speed : ‘ Speed is the need’ . Bullet train, Gatiman express, high speed rail tracks, fencing to ward of human and animals,
Lighter, Stronger, Safer, faster Locomotives & coaches
Protection against Corrosion
Track maintenance : Remote monitoring of tracks for regular maintenance and prevent sabotage
Reduced operating cost
New track laying: Especially in the Himalayan range which includes Kashmir, Ladakh, Himachal, Uttarakhand, North East.
Health and Hygiene
On time running of trains, travel comfort and amenities
Dominant market share in inland freight
Advantages of Adhesives & Sealants vs Traditional Methods
Light weight and higher bonding strength are only a few advantages for Indian Railways. In addition, adhesives and sealants offer several practical benefits. Therefore, they are increasingly preferred over traditional methods.
Strength:
Sealants deliver higher adhesive strength than welds or mechanical fasteners. At the same time, they remain flexible and resist environmental hazards. As a result, bonds last longer and perform better.
Application:
Traditional methods like welding need highly skilled professionals. In contrast, adhesives and sealants require only basic training. They come in bottles, cartridges, sausages, and spray cans. Hence, application becomes faster, simpler, and more consistent.
Durability:
Adhesives and sealants resist corrosion even under harsh climatic conditions. Therefore, they outperform fasteners and welded joints, which degrade over time.
Eco-friendliness:
Modern sealants focus strongly on sustainability. They are formulated without isocyanates, silicones, halogens, or solvents. Thus, they support safer and greener railway operations.
Cost effectiveness:
Lower labor, faster application, and reduced rework make adhesives economical over the lifecycle.
Design • Build • Operate • Repair • Remanufacture:
Adhesives support every stage efficiently.
They also enable new designs and innovative materials. Moreover, newer products improve health and safety standards in Indian Railways. Bonds resist impact and vibration, ensuring long service life.
Overall, adhesives provide solutions to improve durability, reduce vehicle weight, and enhance vehicle appearance.
Typical Railway Adhesive Applications
Indian Railways use adhesives and sealants across almost every area of manufacturing and maintenance operations.
Engineering adhesives
Play a vital role. These include threadlocking, thread sealing, cylindrical bonding, and flange sealing applications. Eg: Supex 243, Supex 574, Supex 577, Supex 638
Structural bonding
Elastic bonding helps join dissimilar structural materials. It is mainly designed to replace welds, rivets, and other mechanical fasteners in body, paint, and trim shops. A wide range of high-strength adhesives supports the assembly of non-metallic substrates and opens new possibilities for lightweight designs. Moreover, adhesives improve acoustic performance and help reduce overall weight. The evenly distributed load from adhesives, unlike stress concentration from mechanical fasteners, allows the use of thinner and lighter panels, further reducing weight. Eg: Supex M1525, 2 part MMA
Window bonding and sealing
These systems bond windscreens and side windows to the train body. Depending on the substrate, several engineered products and primers deliver exceptional performance. These solutions include primerless adhesion and instant fixing, along with controlled and uniform curing.
Seam sealants
These sealants prevent leakage and work effectively on metals, plastics, and composites. They can be applied at any stage of vehicle or component assembly. Current seam sealant technologies include paintable products that resist paint curing processes.
Maintenance products
These include rust looseners, lubricants, metal epoxies for repair and rebuilding, anti-seize compounds, and instant bonding solutions.