Enabling the railway industry of the future: Henkel presents sustainable adhesive and coating solutions at InnoTrans 2024

In today's rail industry, the demands for performance, safety, and sustainability are constantly increasing. Elastic bonding and sealing remain one of the primary adhesive applications in the rail industry and directly impact the sustainability and safety of the rail vehicle. For example, bonding and sealing of various parts such as windows, panels, roofs and walls require not only reliable mechanical performance, but also adherence to the market norms and regulations with respect to flame, smoke, toxicity testing, and restrictions related to iso-cyanate usage. Similarly, structural bonding with adhesives also play an important role in the construction and maintenance of rail vehicles, reducing dependency on mechanical bonding methods, welding, and riveting. Through adhesive-bonded joint designs, manufacturers can reduce their environmental footprint and support their sustainability goals. As a strategic design partner with a team of experts, its own testing facilities, laboratories, and simulation capabilities, Henkel has been collaborating with the main players in the industry to develop innovative solutions throughout the last decades.

At this year's InnoTrans, Henkel is focusing on three topics: sustainable chemistry, strategic design partnership and smart maintenance. As the materials and processes being used to constructs rail vehicles has changed dramatically throughout the last decades, so should manufacturers and suppliers also adapt. Using the Loctite and Teroson portfolios as examples, the experts from Henkel will show how adhesive and coatings solutions could meet the challenges of today’s designs. Understanding the evolving environmental, health and safety requirements in the market, Henkel is offering products such as phthalate- and tin-free adhesives and coatings to reduce noise and vibration during the lifetime of the vehicle, adhesives that comply with the flame retardancy, UV resistance, and aging performance requirements for the construction and maintenance of rail vehicles.

"Our goal is to introduce innovative technologies along the entire value chain to make rail design, manufacturing and maintenance more sustainable, more efficient, and safer for both manufacturers and passengers," says Orcun Karakisla, Global Market Strategy Manager for rail industry at Henkel. "This is why we invest in pioneering adhesive and coatings solutions, while collaborating with our customers to optimize their designs and manufacturing processes."