Paints, varnishes and adhesives anti-graffiti in the rail transport sector

In any city, trains, subways and streetcars can be seen displaying graffiti. Even if these inscriptions can be perceived as art, these unsightly drawings have to be removed quickly. This frantic rush to publish graffiti on new rolling stock on the Internet poses huge problems for the industry. These same manufacturers have had to react by finding solutions for easy graffiti removal, as well as paint systems or adhesive films that resist graffiti removal and degreasing products.

Graffiti is applied using a range of products, including spray cans, felt-tip pens and inks. Graffiti removers, on the other hand, are very aggressive, and their chemical nature is similar to that of paint strippers. Contrary to popular belief, graffiti isn't just about decorating or expressing an identity. The products used for graffiti are also designed to degrade coatings.

It's important to understand that, when it comes to graffiti, the aim is not to prevent the graffiti from being made, but rather to facilitate its removal, with the aim of leaving as few traces as possible on the paint or adhesive systems, without damaging them. Indeed, if graffiti cannot be removed, offenders may choose to damage other parts of the train (broken windows, breakages, etc.). Other types of damage are also reported, such as scratches on windows, or chloric acid sprays on front windows or stainless steel.

Developments and research by manufacturers have focused on several solutions. These solutions differ depending on whether the application is for a new paint and/or adhesive system, or for anti-graffiti protection on a paint and/or adhesive system undergoing maintenance on rolling stock in service.

In the first case, these are vehicles under construction or major maintenance operations on large installations. The aim is to apply a new paint and/or adhesive system incorporating anti-graffiti protection.

In the latter case, the facilities for applying anti-graffiti protection will be more limited, and the lead times shorter. The aim is to preserve the original paint system and apply anti-graffiti protection.

The techniques used and developed in this article are of different kinds, and include occupational health and safety, economic aspects, as well as the limitation of VOC emissions.

Some solutions are highly innovative, and standards have had to be modified. In this article, we take a look at the various techniques and innovations on the subject of anti-graffiti protection.