Around the year 2000, the opportunity of using adhesives in contemporary processes for the manufacture of railway vehicles, and the correct application of the DIN 6700 Standard for welding in the context of railway vehicles, provided the German Federal Railway Authority with the motivation to introduce the DIN 6701 Standard on the “Manufacture of Adhesive Bonds on Rail Vehicles and Parts of Rail Vehicles”.
This standard was the first regulatory DIN Standard applied to ensuring quality for bonded joints, demonstrating that quality organization can successfully be implemented.
The DIN 6701, with its connection to ISO 9001, represents a successful Standard model, accepted by adhesive operators and their clients, and also by adhesive manufacturers and by the German Federal Railway Authority (its initiator).
This is confirmed by the fact that the DIN 7601 series, initially applied only in Germany, is now adopted at international levels as a benchmark guide for adhesive bonding processes and us currently undergoing the phase of internationalisation to become a European Standard.
According to ISO 9001, companies in the railway vehicle production sector, as well as complying with organizational requisites, must learn the procedures for qualifying personnel, the quality of necessary equipment and the definition and management of the production area as laid down in the DIN 7601 Standard.
Current experience shows that the initial economic costs, required so that companies can comply with these requirements, are undoubtedly worthwhile, given the technological and economic advantages that result in even a medium-term timespan.
Meanwhile, there are 456 companies worldwide which have obtained DIN 7601 certification (to 31/3/2015), and this number continues to grow.
