On a global scale, the railway sector has expanded significantly. However, this expansion also comes with its own consequences. One of which is the deterioration of the rail surfaces. As developments in train speeds continue, and car loads increase, the demands for durability have never been stricter.

Of course, the standards for the surfaces of the railway need to be high. To ensure that the level of quality maintained is outstanding always.

To tackle the issues regarding rail surfaces and rail cars, the industry applies the use of many metal spraying solutions to ensure great condition is maintained. This includes low-friction, anti-corrosion protective coatings, and even weatherproofing. Especially weatherproofing.

Maintaining Railways with Metal Spraying

Any external surfaces will require the application of a coating system. An effective one, at that, if preserving against corrosion for a long period of time is necessary. Which it is with railways.

As well as the railway itself, the rail cars also have quite a bit of maintenance necessary. More so when considering all the components of a rail car – fasteners, bolts, retaining rings. And that’s just the build structure.

The fastening element of a rail vehicle, for example, must be both corrosion resistant and chemical resistant such as the acidic and alkaline chemicals found in cleaning solutions. These components must also meet practical requirements, too, such as having good fastening capabilities.

Another component of rail vehicles is a wedge lock washer. These come in a variety of shapes and sizes because these safety washers are used in both passenger cars and freight trains. The purpose of this element is to prevent any screwed connections from separating.

So it’s incredibly important that the protection they have against occurrences like corrosion are truly outstanding. If corrosion were to ever set in, the piece would start breaking down – faster if it’s left untreated for so long. Eventually, the piece will be unusable because the actual structure of it will be too damaged and weak.

To counteract any potential processes of corrosion, the components in every part, external and internal, of a rail car must be coated with corrosion preventative coatings.

Alphatek Solutions

We have some rail coatings proven to offer incredible benefits to every rail component. Here are some of the advantages of our coating solutions:

  • Protection against galvanic corrosion.
  • They are electrically conductive.
  • Standard handling techniques when installing rails is possibly due to the high durability provided.
  • Withstanding high temperatures helps to minimise any potential heat damage from welding operations.
  • Though the coatings are thick, this does not affect the fitting of fastenings or insulators.

Coatings developed specifically for the railway industry and some of the best protection methods for the railways and rail vehicles. They protect them from any external elements that have the potential to damage the internal function. Plus, they definitely attribute to reducing the lifetime costs as they limit the amount of maintenance that’s necessary. Because of this, and the protective makeup of the coating, the lifespan of the rail car (and railway) is longer.

At the crossing in Ings Road located in Doncaster, Alphatek supplied coated rails. Installation happened in December 2003; they were checked over a year later in May of 2005. The 2005 inspection of the applied coatings showed no evidence of rail corrosion. This only proves exactly how effective Alpahtek’s coatings were.

Thermal Spray Coating Services

Thermal spray coating services are the go-to for any industry that requires top surface coatings. If your business were to overlay its rail applications with a coating that offers protection, you’ll be the first to experience many of the benefits it has to offer.

Proven Results

Metal spray coatings have performed incredibly well when challenging multiple settings; high- and low- temperature situations, wear and tear, friction, and chemicals. At Alphatek, we pride ourselves in our ability to really understand the complexities of each case provided by a client.

Whatever the needs of our clients may be, we adapt our processes and our solutions to their particular needs or requests. We also aim to operate at an industry-standard level whilst still delivering a coating solution with the finish the client wishes.

Safety Approved

Railway-specific coatings can have many advantages when it comes to an array of products. Such as the seat frames, safety handles, track rims, brackets, and trackside enclosures.

Other Benefits

It’s your railways that reap the benefits of protective coatings. Benefits they’ll be reaping for years to come.

The other benefits include:

  • Retained S&T capabilities
  • Reduced rail replacement costs in comparison to using epoxy paint coating systems.
  • Reduced lifetime fees over the rails. Protective coatings require less maintenance checks than non-protective coating parts.
  • Rail life is longer.

Contact Alphatek: Thermal Spray Specialists

There are many instances where damage can be avoided and industries should jump to take action themselves. Keeping your infrastructures safe and secure is important not just for your business but also anyone who works on it or those that use it.

And the rail sector is one of those important industries where taking active protective measures has a massive impact. Particularly when you consider how major a transportation hub railways are. A large part of travel for many people all across the world, not just our country.

Therefore, the team at Alphatek creates services and solutions so that we can always give the greatest value in coating solutions to our clients. And how can we not mention our hassle-free service? It’s suitable for everyone.

If you need Metal Spraying solutions, contact us! Across multiple industry sectors, including the Rail Industry, we have provided many bespoke coating solutions. You can get in touch by phoning 01706 821 021 or by simply emailing us at postbox@alphatek.co.uk.

But if you would prefer to come see us, have a chat, maybe a brew, we’re only 20 miles north of Manchester. Check out our opening times before popping in, though!