Customer stories / 6 August 2024 / 3 min

Advantages of using protective film for subway interiors and exteriors

CAF, a renowned manufacturer of sustainable transportation solutions, recently partnered with Fleetshield to apply protective film to both, the interior and exterior of subway trains. This collaboration highlights the significant benefits of protective film and showcases Fleetshield's expertise in the field.

CAF trusts Fleetshield's expertise

As a specialist in protecting and transforming rail equipment, Fleetshield thinks along not only with rail companies but also with key international manufacturers of rail equipment like CAF. When a client requested CAF to apply protective film throughout subway interiors and exteriors, they turned to Fleetshield for guidance. Urko Aleman, Project Manager at CAF, noted, “Fleetshield's knowledge of materials helped us enormously in finding the right solution for our client.”

Smart request: Interior protective film for wagons interiors

CAF's equipment is known for its versatility and adaptability to clients' needs. “In Spain, we are now used to protect rail material with film, but in the interior, it is not yet widely used. And now we had a client who wanted the entire interior treated with protective film. (…) With that, in our view, we still had too little demonstrable experience. Then it's nice to be able to spar with a specialist like Fleetshield.” Aleman explained.

Applying film to the exterior of rail equipment offers several benefits, such as protection against graffiti, scratches, and engravings. It provides a sustainable, easy-to-clean solution that prevents damage to the train's surface and allows for design changes and equipment transformations. For the interior, applying protective film enhances the passenger experience, serves as a communication tool, and makes travel more pleasant overall.

Simplifying design decisions

Aleman highlighted Fleetshield's industry knowledge: “What I appreciated most was Fleetshield's proximity and involvement in determining the optimal solutions for our client. They had previously worked with Fleetshield to protect the interiors of streetcars and subways with film. We noticed that this made a huge difference in mutual communication. Moreover, Fleetshield knew the requirements and wishes of this carrier. That helped in making important design decisions.”

Ensuring quality and compliance

To minimize the risk of damage CAF had to meet strict quality requirements, and Fleetshield's experience was essential to address this crucial point. Their familiarity with CAF's clients' needs enabled them to provide targeted advice and address specific concerns, ensuring the protective film application with all necessary standards.

"Fleetshield pointed out to us an adhesion risk"

Addressing critical factors: Adhesion

“Fleetshield showed us the different material options based on the finishing requirements and the best combination options for different subway components. We thus found out that the technical specifications from the order did not meet the functionality requirements,” Urko notes. “For example, applying protective film over an anti-graffiti coating turned out to be inadvisable. Fleetshield pointed out an adhesion risk to us. Based on some tests we performed with Fleetshield, we were still able to guarantee good adhesion in the end.”

Streamlining the production process

Fleetshield also eased CAF's engineering workload by delivering pre-cut film components and converting 3D drawings into 2D production files. This allowed the protective film components to be applied after the installation of all interior elements as the client desired. “An extra service like this made the production process significantly easier,” said Aleman.

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