As well as being a manufacturer, Bombardier also provides dedicated fleet management, engineering, refurbishment and maintenance services. These are provided through strategically located centres around the UK.
At the Ilford heavy maintenance services site, for example, the company is able to undertake the complete refurbishment of rail carriages; this work includes mileage- or time-based vehicle overhauls, asset life extension, rebranding, tyre turning and remote project execution.
The Ilford site extends over 39,000m2 and has recently been the subject of a major investment programme, with workshops for vehicle strip-down, where each carriage is typically taken back to the bare shell; corrosion removal and bare metal preparation; paint preparation and spraying; rebuild and testing. Much of this work falls into the category of industry-specific C6 projects, typically covering the vehicle interiors, doors, seals and exterior refurbishment, with contracts frequently covering the refurbishment of Class 317, 357and 365 vehicles.
For the various workshop teams at the Ilford site, the focus throughout is on safety, efficiency and productivity. Paint shop manager Colin McCann, explains: “At our Ilford site, where much of the work that we carry out involves a combination of arduous manual tasks, often with heavy machinery, and the use of a wide range of abrasives, paints and solvents, we’ve invested heavily in systems, processes and training to create as safe a working environment as possible.”
A particular area of focus has been to reduce hand-arm vibration, as many of the maintenance and repair staff regularly use hand grinding, drilling, sanding, polishing and spraying tools. “We set the maximum exposure limit to hand-arm vibration at just a quarter of the limit recommended by the Health and Safety Executive,” explains Colin McCann. “Although this protects our staff, it also means that we need to be as productive as possible when using this type of equipment. That’s where 3M is able to step in.”
3M has worked closely with Bombardier to help the company strike an effective balance between a safe working environment and optimum levels of productivity. In particular, the company supplies its latest disc sanders and 3M Cubitron II bonded abrasive grinding and cut-off wheels.
“We’d previously tested equipment from a number of suppliers and found that, in the case of the sanders in particular, the 3M products offer far lower levels of vibration without affecting their power, reliability or efficiency,” says Colin McCann.
Similarly, the precision shaped grain ceramic mineral found in 3M Cubitron II abrasives allows each task to be completed faster, thereby improving productivity while reducing the time that each grinder is being used. Steve Rose, corrosion support manager, points out: “The Cubitron II product offers us a number of important advantages, as it cuts quicker and lasts longer for the tasks that we have to carry out. Typically, these will be removing areas of corrosion on steel bodied vehicles. This means that my team can get the job done faster, with minimal exposure to vibration, and then move on to the next stage of each refurbishment.”
The same approach to safety and productivity can be found in other areas, such as the welding and grinding bays, where 3M Speedglas welding helmets are used. These feature innovative 3M technology, which automatically darkens the visor to an adjustable and pre-set density within 0.1 millisecond of an arc flash occurring. This provides complete visual safety, while the lightweight ergonomically designed helmet automatically adjusts to each head shape, making it comfortable to wear for extended periods.
3M has also worked with Bombardier on its masking solutions.
Bombardier and 3M also work closely with their distribution partners. A recent innovation has been the installation of a computer-controlled inventory and stock control vending system, with consumable products in the corrosion and paint shops being dispensed only after an authorised user has logged in and input exactly the product required. Reorders are automatically generated and sent direct to the distributors, with the relevant tote bins being replenished on a daily basis.
This system has helped to reduce inventory costs still further, while ensuring that each consumable item or pack of consumables is fully used before a new one is issued to avoid unnecessary waste.