Coating methods for high-speed rail vehicles

Abstract

To improve the cleaning efficiency of high-speed rail vehicles. [Solution] A method for coating a detachable front section (e.g., front cover 2) of a high-speed rail vehicle 1, comprising: a first step of forming a primer layer 5 by applying a primer to the painted surface (surface of the paint film 4) of the front section (front cover 2); and a second step of forming a top coat layer 6 by applying a coating agent on top of the primer layer 5.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a coating method for a high - speed railway vehicle for coating a detachable head part of the high - speed railway vehicle.

Background Art

[0002] For example, as disclosed in Patent Document 1, a detachable cover (front head cover) is provided at the head part of a high - speed railway vehicle. And inside the front head cover, a coupler for connecting to other vehicles is housed. Further, the front head cover is made of fiber - reinforced plastic (FRP). And the outer surface of the front head cover is a painted surface coated with a two - component urethane paint.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] During the running of a high - speed railway vehicle, insects in the air collide with the front of the vehicle and adhere in a crushed state (hereinafter referred to as "insect stain"). In particular, since the front head cover is at the leading end of the vehicle, the insect stain is prominent. The vehicle is generally washed once a day, but the insect stain sticks to the painted surface of the front head cover and is difficult to remove. Therefore, there is a problem that the washing efficiency of the vehicle body decreases.

[0005] The present invention is for solving the above problems, and an object thereof is to provide a coating method for a high - speed railway vehicle capable of improving the washing efficiency of the high - speed railway vehicle.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] To solve the above problems, the coating method for high-speed rail vehicles of the present invention has the following configuration.

[0007] (1) A method for coating a detachable front section of a high-speed rail vehicle, comprising: a first step of forming a primer layer by applying a primer to a painted surface of the front section; and a second step of forming a topcoat layer by applying a coating agent on the primer layer.

[0008] (1) According to the coating method for high-speed rail vehicles described, a top coat layer is formed with the coating agent, making it easy to remove insect stains even if they occur on the front of the high-speed rail vehicle. Therefore, it is possible to improve the cleaning efficiency of high-speed rail vehicles.

[0009] (2) In the method for coating high-speed rail vehicles described in (1), it is preferable that the primer is colloidal silica.

[0010] (2) According to the coating method for high-speed rail vehicles described above, the adhesion of the topcoat layer to the paint film is increased compared to when the topcoat layer is applied directly to the surface of the paint film. This improves the durability of the topcoat layer, making it possible to maintain the performance of the topcoat layer for a long period of time.

[0011] (3) In the method for coating a high-speed rail vehicle described in either (1) or (2), it is preferable that the coating agent is a mixture of a silicone oligomer and a curing agent.

[0012] (3) According to the coating method for high-speed rail vehicles described above, the organic substituents such as methyl groups on the silicone oligomer reduce the surface free energy on the surface of the topcoat layer, making it possible to achieve a state with water repellency, water sliding, and mold release properties. Even if insect stains occur on the front of the high-speed rail vehicle, they can be easily removed, thus improving the cleaning efficiency of the high-speed rail vehicle.

[0013] (4) In the method for coating a high-speed rail vehicle described in any one of (1) to (3), it is preferable that at least the second step is performed in a dedicated location with the front section removed from the high-speed rail vehicle.

[0014] (4) According to the method for coating high-speed rail vehicles described above, at least the second step for forming the top coat layer is performed in a dedicated location, so that contamination of the area around where the coating step is performed by the coating agent does not adversely affect other steps. [Effects of the Invention]

[0015] According to the above-described coating method for high-speed rail vehicles, it is possible to improve the cleaning efficiency of high-speed rail vehicles. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0016] [Figure 1] This is a side view of a high-speed rail vehicle. [Figure 2] This is a cross-section of the forehead. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0017] (Regarding high-speed rail vehicles) High-speed rail vehicle 1 (hereinafter simply referred to as rail vehicle 1) will be explained using Figure 1. Figure 1 is a side view of high-speed rail vehicle 1.

[0018] The railway vehicle 1 includes a car body 21 and a bogie 22 that supports the car body 21, and is capable of traveling on the track 7. Also, the railway vehicle 1 is a leading vehicle and has a front end hood 2 (an example of a front end portion) at the front end (the left end portion in FIG. 1). Further, a coupler (not shown) for connecting to other vehicles is housed inside the front end hood 2.

[0019] The front end hood 2 is attached to the car body 21 so as to be openable and closable. By opening the front end hood 2, the coupler can be used. When the coupler is not used, etc., the front end hood 2 is in a closed state (the state shown in FIG. 1). Further, the front end hood 2 is detachable from the car body 21. It is possible to remove the front end hood 2 when performing maintenance on the railway vehicle 1, etc.

[0020] The front end hood 2 is made of, for example, fiber reinforced plastic (FRP), and its surface is painted with paint and coated with a coating agent. Specifically, it will be described using FIG. 2. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the front end hood 2. In FIG. 2, the upper side is the outside of the front end hood 2, and the lower side in FIG. 2 is the inside of the front end hood 2 (the side where the coupler is housed).

[0021] On the surface of the material 3 of the front end hood 2, as shown in FIG. 2, a paint film 4, a primer layer 5 by a primer, and a top coat layer 6 by a coating agent are formed in order from the inside. Note that the thicknesses of the material 3, the paint film 4, the primer layer 5, and the top coat layer 6 shown in FIG. 2 do not represent exact thicknesses.

[0022] The coating film 4 is formed by applying paint to the surface of the material 3 and drying it. Note that the coating film 4 may be formed in multiple layers by repeating the application and drying of the paint a plurality of times. In this embodiment, the outermost layer that finishes the coating film 4 is a coating film made of a two-component urethane paint. Here, the two-component urethane paint is a paint that uses a polyol compound as the main component and a polyisocyanate compound as the curing agent. The polyol compound is a general term for compounds having two or more hydroxyl groups in one molecule, and examples include polyether polyol, polymer polyol, polyester polyol, and acrylic polyol. The polyisocyanate compound is a general term for compounds having two or more isocyanate groups in one molecule, and examples include tolylene diisocyanate, diphenylmethane diisocyanate, and hexamethylene diisocyanate.

[0023] (Regarding the primer layer) The primer layer 5 is formed by applying a primer to the surface of the coating film 4. It is desirable to use colloidal silica as the primer. Colloidal silica is obtained by diluting an organosilicate compound with an alcohol-based solvent and a glycol ether-based solvent. More specifically, the alcohol-based solvent is diluted at a ratio of 70-80% by mass and the glycol ether-based solvent is diluted at a ratio of 10-20% by mass so that the concentration of the organosilicate compound is 1-5% by mass in terms of silica.

[0024] The organosilicate compound is a partial hydrolyzate and / or condensate of a 3-4 functional hydrolyzable alkoxysilane (such as trimethoxysilane, triethoxysilane, tetramethoxysilane, tetraethoxysilane, etc.). Specifically, for example, ethyl silicate 40, ethyl silicate 28, ethyl silicate 48, methyl silicate 51, methyl silicate 53A, methyl silicate 51, HAS-1, HAS-6, HAS-10 manufactured by Colcoat Co., Ltd., and MKC silicate (MS51, MS56, MS57, MS56S) manufactured by Mitsubishi Chemical Corporation, etc. can be mentioned.

[0025] Alcohol-based solvents are used to dilute organosilicate compounds to an appropriate concentration, and examples include methyl alcohol, ethyl alcohol, and isopropyl alcohol.

[0026] Glycol ether solvents are solvents with a boiling point of 120°C or higher, such as propylene glycol methyl ether, dipropylene glycol methyl ether, tripropylene glycol methyl ether, propylene glycol n-propyl ether, and dipropylene glycol dimethyl ether. When organosilicate compounds are diluted with alcohol-based solvents alone, there is a problem that they dry quickly, making it difficult to spread the primer on the surface of the coating film 4. By mixing in a glycol ether solvent with a boiling point of 120°C, drying can be slowed down compared to dilution with alcohol-based solvents alone, making it possible to spread the primer on the surface of the coating film 4. Furthermore, the above-mentioned glycol ether solvents are preferable because, unlike toluene and the like, they do not damage the coating film 4.

[0027] Using a colloidal silica primer as described above allows it to penetrate the vehicle's painted surface, and the primer layer 5 and the surface of the paint film 4 adhere tightly due to the anchoring effect. Then, by applying a coating agent to the surface of this adhered primer layer 5, the adhesion of the topcoat layer 6 to the paint film 4 increases compared to when the topcoat layer 6 is applied directly to the surface of the paint film 4 without using a primer. Specifically, the adhesion of the topcoat layer 6 was approximately 1.22 MPa when no primer was used, compared to approximately 1.69 MPa when a primer was used, representing an increase of about 40%. This adhesion value was measured according to the method described in JIS K 5600-5-7. Thus, the increased adhesion when using a primer is thought to be due to the anchoring effect. The anchoring effect refers to the adhesion achieved when the primer penetrates into the microscopic irregularities of the coating film 4 and hardens, making it difficult to detach from the coating film 4. In addition to the anchoring effect, it is also thought that the adhesion of the topcoat layer 6 is increased by the silanol groups (Si-OH) of the primer forming hydrogen bonds with the polar groups of the coating film 4, or by condensation reactions with unreacted OH groups. As described above, by increasing the adhesion of the topcoat layer 6, the durability of the topcoat layer 6 can be improved, making it possible to maintain the performance of the topcoat layer 6 for a long period of time.

[0028] (Regarding the top coat layer) The topcoat layer 6 is formed by applying a coating agent to the surface of the primer layer 5. In this embodiment, the coating agent is a mixture of a main component and a hardener in a predetermined ratio of 4:1. This ratio can be arbitrarily determined within a range of approximately 1:1 to 10:1.

[0029] The main component is a silicone oligomer diluted with a hydrocarbon solvent, consisting of a mixture of 20-30% by mass of silicone oligomer and 70-80% by mass of hydrocarbon solvent.

[0030] Silicone oligomers are moisture-curable silicone oligomers that have alkoxy groups such as methoxy groups and ethoxy groups, and hydrocarbon groups such as methyl groups and phenyl groups. Specifically, examples include KC-89S, KR-515, KR-500, X-40-9225, X-40-9246, X-40-9250, X-88-1004, X-88-1007, X-48-1500, X-48-1600, KR-401N, X-40-9227, KR-510, KR-213, and X-40-9312, all manufactured by Shin-Etsu Chemical Co., Ltd.

[0031] Hydrocarbon solvents include, for example, isoparaffinic solvents. Specifically, examples include Isopar C, Isopar E, Isopar G, Isopar H, Isopar L, Isopar M, and Isopar V manufactured by ExxonMobil (note that Isopar is a registered trademark).

[0032] The curing agent is a mixture of 10-20% by mass of silane coupling agent, 50-60% by mass of hydrocarbon solvent, and 1-20% by mass of curing catalyst.

[0033] A silane coupling agent is, for example, a silane coupling agent having an epoxy group, which has the effect of improving the adhesion between the topcoat layer 6 and the primer layer 5.

[0034] Hydrocarbon solvents, such as isoparaffinic solvents, are added to dilute the main component to an appropriate concentration. Specifically, examples include Isopar C, Isopar E, Isopar G, Isopar H, Isopar L, Isopar M, and Isopar V manufactured by ExxonMobil (note that Isopar is a registered trademark).

[0035] Curing catalysts include, for example, organotin compounds, organoaluminum compounds, organotitanium compounds, mineral acids, and organic acids, and are formulated to cure moisture-curable silicone oligomers.

[0036] By forming a topcoat layer 6 with the coating agent described above, even if insect stains occur on the front cover 2, they can be easily removed. This is because the organic substituents such as methyl groups in the silicone oligomer reduce the surface free energy on the surface of the topcoat layer 6, making it water-repellent, water-sliding, and mold-release.

[0037] Furthermore, the topcoat layer 6 is durable due to the high bond energy of the Si-O bonds in the silicone oligomer main skeleton. As a result, the topcoat layer 6 can remain on the surface of the coating film 4 for a long period of time. Thus, the topcoat layer 6 can protect the coating film 4 from the effects of factors that degrade the coating film 4 (e.g., ultraviolet rays, oxygen, heat and moisture, and other chemical substances).

[0038] (Regarding the coating process) Next, the process for forming the primer layer 5 and the topcoat layer 6 on the front cover 2 will be described.

[0039] First, the front cover 2 is assumed to be in a state where it has been removed from the railway vehicle 1. Note that the state where the front cover 2 has been removed from the railway vehicle 1 simply means that the front cover 2 is not assembled to the railway vehicle 1, and it does not matter whether the front cover 2 is in a state before being assembled to the railway vehicle 1 (a front cover 2 that has never been assembled to the railway vehicle 1) or whether the front cover 2 has been removed from the state where it was assembled to the railway vehicle 1. If the front cover 2 is in a state before being assembled to the railway vehicle 1 (a front cover 2 that has never been assembled to the railway vehicle 1), the front cover 2 has a urethane paint applied to the surface of the material 3, and a paint film 4 has been formed. A new primer layer 5 and a top coat layer 6 are then formed on top of the paint film 4 by the coating process described below. If the front cover 2 is in a state where it has been removed from the state where it was assembled to the railway vehicle 1, a primer layer 5 and a top coat layer 6 are formed again on top of the paint film 4 by the coating process described below for maintenance purposes. Furthermore, maintenance should ideally be performed every two to three years.

[0040] First, the front cover 2, removed from the railway vehicle 1, is transported to a dedicated location for the coating process. Transporting it to a dedicated location prevents contamination of the area surrounding the coating process by the coating agent, which could negatively impact other processes. For example, if the coating process is performed in the same space where paint is applied to the vehicle body 21, that space will become contaminated with the coating agent. Then, when attempting to apply paint to another vehicle body 21, the coating agent adhering to the vehicle body 21 may repel the paint, potentially leading to poor workmanship. Therefore, the dedicated location must be at least different from the area where paint is applied (the area where the coating film 4 is formed). Furthermore, to prevent contamination of the surrounding area by the coating agent, the dedicated location should preferably be a space that can be isolated from other areas at least during the coating process, and even more preferably a sealed space.

[0041] Next, the surface of the coating 4 is cleaned and degreased with alcohol or the like. Specifically, for example, the surface of the coating 4 is wiped with a microfiber cloth soaked in alcohol or the like to perform the above cleaning and degreasing.

[0042] Next, a primer layer 5 is formed on the surface of the coating film 4 (first step). Specifically, an appropriate amount of primer is taken onto a microfiber cloth and applied to the surface of the coating film 4 by spreading it thinly. The amount of primer applied in this embodiment is 1 to 10 g / m². 2 The film thickness is approximately 5 nm to 1 μm. After applying the primer, the surface is left at room temperature for 1 hour to allow the solvent (alcohol-based solvent and glycol ether-based solvent) to evaporate and the organosilicate compounds to react with each other, thereby allowing the anchoring effect to occur. This completes the formation of the primer layer 5. Note that the method of applying the primer is not limited to the method using the microfiber cloth described above.

[0043] Next, a topcoat layer 6 is formed on top of the primer layer 5 (second step). The coating agent used in the second step should be prepared in advance by mixing the main agent and hardener in a 4:1 ratio. Note that the mixture can be used for approximately one month after mixing the main agent and hardener, so it is not necessary to mix the main agent and hardener immediately before performing the second step.

[0044] The coating agent should be applied at an application rate of 15-150 g / m². 2 Alternatively, the coating agent is applied to the surface of the primer layer 5 using an airbrush to a film thickness of 5-100 μm. After applying the coating agent, it is left at room temperature for about one day to reach a touch-dry state. This completes the coating process. Note that it takes at least 6 days after application for the performance of the coating agent to be realized.

[0045] As explained above, the method for coating railway vehicles according to this embodiment is (1) A method for coating a detachable front section (e.g., front cover 2) of a high-speed rail vehicle 1, comprising: a first step of forming a primer layer 5 by applying a primer to a painted surface (surface of the paint film 4) of the front section (front cover 2); and a second step of forming a top coat layer 6 by applying a coating agent on the primer layer 5.

[0046] (1) According to the coating method for high-speed rail vehicles described above, by forming a top coat layer 6 with the coating agent, even if insect stains occur on the front part (front cover 2) of the high-speed rail vehicle 1, they can be easily removed. Therefore, it is possible to improve the cleaning efficiency of the high-speed rail vehicle 1.

[0047] (2) In the method for coating high-speed rail vehicles described in (1), it is preferable that the primer is colloidal silica.

[0048] (2) According to the coating method for high-speed rail vehicles described above, the adhesion of the topcoat layer 6 to the paint film 4 is increased compared to when the topcoat layer 6 is applied directly to the surface of the paint film 4. This improves the durability of the topcoat layer 6, making it possible to maintain the performance of the topcoat layer 6 for a long period of time.

[0049] (3) In the method for coating a high-speed rail vehicle described in either (1) or (2), it is preferable that the coating agent is a mixture of a silicone oligomer and a curing agent.

[0050] (3) According to the coating method for high-speed rail vehicles described, the organic substituents such as methyl groups on the silicone oligomer reduce the surface free energy on the surface of the topcoat layer 6, making it possible to achieve a state with water-repellent, water-sliding, and mold-release properties. Even if insect stains occur on the front of the high-speed rail vehicle, they can be easily removed, thus improving the cleaning efficiency of the high-speed rail vehicle.

[0051] (4) In the method for coating a high-speed rail vehicle described in any one of (1) to (3), it is preferable that at least the second step is performed in a dedicated location with the front section (front cover 2) removed from the high-speed rail vehicle 1.

[0052] (4) According to the coating method for high-speed rail vehicles described, at least the second step for forming the topcoat layer 6 is performed in a dedicated area, so that the area around the area where the coating process is performed is not contaminated by the coating agent and adversely affects other processes. It is conceivable to coat the entire rail vehicle to make it easier to remove dirt (for example, Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2006-347364), but rail vehicles are large structures with a total length of 20m or more, and it is not easy to set up a dedicated coating work area separate from the normal painting area. On the other hand, when high-speed rail vehicles are in operation, the front part that pushes aside stationary air has many opportunities for flying insects to collide with it, while insects rarely collide with the sides of the vehicle body where the pushed-aside air simply flows along the surface. Therefore, even if a workspace can be secured, coating the entire surface of a rail vehicle, especially a high-speed rail vehicle, would not only require a great deal of time and effort, but also risk wasting resources. Therefore, by applying a coating only to the front cover, which is detachably installed at the front of the high-speed rail vehicle and is frequently hit by insects, while leaving other parts such as the sides of the vehicle, which are less frequently hit by insects, the efficiency of cleaning insect stains and other debris that accumulate due to the operation of the rail vehicle can be improved. This has significance not only in reducing working time and labor, but also in achieving maximum effect with minimum resource utilization.

[0053] The embodiments described above are merely illustrative and do not limit the present invention in any way. Therefore, the present invention can naturally be improved and modified in various ways without departing from its essence. For example, the first and second steps in the coating process do not need to be performed in the same location. Also, although the above description assumes that the entire coating process is performed in a dedicated location, it is sufficient if at least the second step is performed in a dedicated location. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0054] 1. Railway vehicles 2. Frontal cover (an example of the leading part) 5. Prima layer 6. Top coat layer

Claims

1. In a method for coating the detachable front section of a high-speed rail vehicle, The first step involves applying a primer to the painted surface of the leading portion to form a primer layer, A second step involves applying a coating agent onto the primer layer to form a top coat layer, A method for coating high-speed rail vehicles, characterized by including the following:

2. In the method for coating high-speed rail vehicles according to claim 1, The primer is colloidal silica. A coating method for high-speed rail vehicles characterized by the following.

3. In the method for coating a high-speed rail vehicle according to claim 1 or 2, The coating agent is a mixture of a silicone oligomer and a curing agent. A coating method for high-speed rail vehicles characterized by the following.

4. In the method for coating a high-speed rail vehicle according to claim 1 or 2, At least the second step is performed in a designated location with the front section removed from the high-speed rail vehicle. A coating method for high-speed rail vehicles characterized by the following.

5. In the method for coating railway vehicles according to claim 3, At least the second step is performed in a designated location with the front section removed from the high-speed rail vehicle. A coating method for high-speed rail vehicles characterized by the following.

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