In the second half of 2016, Newag delivered two 15D diesel locomotives to ENEA S.A.. Rebuilt from old TEM2 diesels, the designated 15D-031 and 15D-032 were coated with a special paint based on renewable resources.
To enhance sustainability and reduce its carbon footprint, the rail industry continuously introduces new concepts that aid in reducing fuel consumption and emissions. Also Polish rail vehicle manufacturer Newag S.A. actively pursues this aim and by applying a resource-efficient coating to the two locomotives it broke new ground. Supplied by Lankwitzer Lackfabrik of Berlin, the coating was developed in close collaboration with Covestro using the bio-based coating hardener Desmodur Eco N 7300.
“With a new product, a coating manufacturer’s first priority is, of course, to fulfill the customer’s specifications,” says Mateusz Fedko, project manager at Newag. “If the coating offers added value on top of that, as is the case here with the renewable raw materials, it gives us a very good opportunity to set ourselves apart from the competition.”
According to Covestro, the coating formulated with this product performs just as well as a conventional coating systems, but uses primarily renewable resources. Furthermore, the bio-based coating can be applied just like conventional coatings and matches the performance of these coatings as joint testing by Lankwitzer Lackfabrik and Covestro has confirmed. The abrasion resistance and gloss stability of the coating were even 70 percent higher compared with standard coatings, as the partners demonstrated with the Amtec Kistler car wash test. The bio-based fulfills the specific requirements of the railway vehicle industry. It has a good resistance to cleaning agents, particularly those used to remove graffiti (DB standard “Blatt 39”), and tests confirm that graffiti can be removed easily and gently.
Given the results so far, Michael Voxbrunner of Lankwitzer Lackfabrik is optimistic about future developments: “I am certain this biobased clearcoat will also create value for our customers in other industries.”
Learn more about Newag 15D diesel locomotives on MainlineDiesels.net.
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