3M
3M
Railway Technical Advisory for Design and Materials Engineers to Achieve Capacity, Efficiency and Sustainability Goals
- This article first appeared in the Railway-News magazine Issue 3 2022.
Rolling stock weight reduction is a key priority if the rail industry is to meet its capacity, efficiency, sustainability and operating cost reduction goals. In the quest for overall weight reduction, rail OEMs are exploring the use of new vehicle architectures, materials and construction methods. Joining and bonding solutions using high-performance adhesives and tapes are a significant enabler of lightweighting in the rail sector, providing safe, durable and cost-effective solutions to many challenging assembly applications. 3M has adhesive bonding technologies that can speed up assembly processes and lighten the load by reducing the number of mechanical fasteners needed in rail carriage assembly. Our technologies can also support in bonding composites which enable lighter constructions.
Advanced materials create new manufacturing challenges. They include the need to create durable connections between dissimilar materials. Thus, avoiding stress peaks around fasteners and preventing water ingress and corrosion getting into and between components. OEMs also need construction technologies that work reliably and consistently in the production environment.
At 3M, we are continuing to develop a range of innovative products to streamline and ensure the quality of future rolling stock delivery.
