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Indian Railways
India’s national railway system is operated by the Ministry of Railways. It is run by the government as a public good and manages the fourth largest railway network in the world by size, with a route length of 95,981-kilometre (59,640 mi) as of March 2019. About 61.62% of the routes are electrified with 25 kV 50 Hz AC electric traction while 33% of them are double or multi-tracked.
In the fiscal year ending March 2018, IR carried 8.26 billion passengers and transported 1.16 billion tonnes of freight. In the fiscal year 2017–18, IR is projected to have revenue of ₹1.874 trillion (US$26 billion), consisting of ₹1.175 trillion (US$16 billion) in freight revenue and ₹501.25 billion (US$7.0 billion) in passenger revenue, with an operating ratio of 96.0 percent.
What could be the factors that matter for the railways industry? It will be in their best interests to ensure that the trains are safe and comfortable for regular use, while also having a long lifetime. Sealants and adhesives play a lesser-known but highly significant role while manufacturing a train that meets these broad criteria. They are thus used regularly for both interior and exterior application. Sealants and adhesives are used in almost all parts of railway manufacturing. From design to production to maintenance, be it for high-speed trains to light rail transit.
Typical areas in Indian Railways are:
- New Engines or Locomotives – Eg: DLW, CLW
- Strip Down Maintenance of Locos – Eg: DMW Patiala
- In running maintenance of Locos- Loco Worshop – Tkd ( Tughlakabad Shed, Howrah Loco Shed, Hubli Loco shed etc.
- Railway coach manufacturing – RCF Kathurthala, ICF Chennai, Raebarely Coach factory.
- Strip down maintenance of coaches- Jagidri workshop, Lucknow coach factory.
- ‘Sick Line’ Running Maintenance of Rakes
- Signalling and track Maintenance.
- station Maintenance .
- RDSO Lucknow -approvals for any design change or technology change.
Key critical areas for Indian Railways
Indian Railways is Nation’s largest tranporter of people and goods. It is also the largest employer. Railways is poised to grow using better technology and managment structures. So what are the chief challenges Indian Railways is working to overcome.
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Safety
Human lives can be compensated with anything and 8.5 billion ( approx) human lives have been tranported in 2019. Any development, change needs to be vetted from safety officials too.
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Reduced travel time, more speed
‘ Speed is the need’ . Bullet train, Gatiman express, high speed rail tracks, fencing to ward of human and animals,
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Lighter, Stronger, Safer, faster Locomotives & coaches
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Protection against Corrosion
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Track maintenance remote monitoring of tracks for regular maintenance and sabotage
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Reduced operating cost
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New track laying
Especially in the Himalayan range which includes Kashmir, Ladakh, Himachal, Uttarakhand, North East.
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Health and Hygiene
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On time running of trains, travel comfort and amenities
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Dominant market share in inland freight
Advantages of Adhesive technology vs traditional methods
Being lighter in weight and offering greater adhesive strength is simply one of the advantages. We have listed some of the benefits of sealants and why they should be preferred:
- Strength: Sealants show a much higher adhesive strength than welded bonds or fasteners. Alongwith that being flexible and immune to hazards.
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Eco-friendliness:
Sealants and adhesives of today strive to be eco-friendly. They are formulated in such a way that they contain no isocyanate, silicone, halogens or solvents.
- Application: Alternatives like welding require professionals who are skilled in the process of welding materials together. You cannot complete welding process by yourself. On the contrary, sealant or adhesive comes in spray cans. This makes application easier. Convenient even for home users. Furthermore, these sealants can be applied using a brush, spray, spreading, web coating, beads, wheel or dots.
- Durability:sealants and adhesives do not corrode easily under harsh climatic conditions. Thus, it makes them more suitable than other alternatives like traditional fasteners and welded bonds.
Design • Build • Operate • Repair • Remanufacture
Rolling stock and railcoach adhesive applications
- Windshield adhesive
- Cockpit and panel bonding adhesive
- Floor bonding installation
- Headlight bonding
- Door systems
- Thermal and acoustic insulation
Kindly post your questions/ queries in the comment section or contact me at:
Bibhas Agarwal
anaghaengineers.in@gmail.com
Whatsapp: 91 9833892782
Call : 91 9699892782
www.anaghaengineers.in
