Background / 20 September 2024 / 3 min

4-Step process for superior protective film application in your rolling stock

At Fleetshield , we know that providing top-tier service with zero compromises on quality is what clients in the transport sector require. To ensure this within our film application projects, we analyze the surface and its condition to select the most suitable film type and optimal application method.

Often, the overall condition of the equipment—whether it's a train, bus, or, tram—is not ideal and even the top-quality product cannot hide damages caused by long-term operation. That's why Fleetshield's Surface Preparation Team developed a 4-step process to ensure smooth and yield the top-end result we all strive for in film applications.

Let us take care of everything of surface preparation!

From the moment you outsource your rolling stock film installation to us we take care of all steps without disruption to your operations.

1- Removing old films and stickers

Old stickers might be baked into the surface, making them hard to remove. We handle this process efficiently. Information stickers, pictograms, technical marks, or train numbers will all be replaced or renewed, usually integrated into the new design.

2- Dismantling and refurbishing obstruction objects

All protruding parts that would not make film application possible—such as handles, covers, light frames, frames, and gutters—are dismantled. Damaged items are refurbished and painted or replaced with new ones. Parts of the train that are tricky for film application are pre-painted, ensuring that these parts will have the same color, thanks to our close coordination with the application team. All these details elevate your rolling stock renovation!

3 - Sanding & puttying uneven and damaged surface

Many factors can affect train surfaces over years of operation, such as weather conditions, corrosion, chipped stones, minor accidents, quick fixes, and vandalism. While a film applied over the surface will help with future damages, we must address the existing ones first. By sanding and puttingtying the damaged areas, we prepare the surface so that there is almost no unevenness.

4- Decontamination, cleaning, and final pre-film preparation

The last step before completing the surface preparation is to clean, decontaminate, and neutralize the surface. The train's surface might be full of sediments, chemical residues, and other substances it came into contact with over the years. Often, the surface is also hit with graffiti, which we can clean as well.