Turnaround in exterior cleaning

Proteins reduce costs

Exterior appearance: three days after cleaning, all surfaces gleaming.

Reinwerk Solutions has beenworking with Gelita AG, the world
market leader for collagen proteins, preparing the way for a seachange. The "Easy-to-Clean" process developed by both companies relies on a range of environmentally friendly, high quality
cleaners. Under the brand name ofLoClean, these products are usedby a number of train operators athome and abroad, including
Deutsche Bahn, ÖsterreichischeBundesbahnen,
Rhein-NeckarVerkehr GmbH, Nord-OstseeBahn and others. The benefits of
the new product: Fleet appearance
is sustainably optimized, whilst
bringing considerable savings potential for operators as a result ofefficient cleaning and extending
periods
betweencleaning.

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Furthermore, with the biodegradability of LoClean products being sogood, there is no need for costlyand time-consuming wastewater
treatment. The effectiveness of thepatent-pending cleaning systems
developed jointly with Gelita has
already been proven in a numberof field tests.
LoClean products work by meansof an innovative combination ofenvironmentally friendly surfactants and functional proteins, falling under the brand name of Novotec, which are also used in othersectors of industry. Their mildly
alkaline cleaning power makes
them extremely gentle and highly
efficient in loosening any kind ofdirt from the vehicle exterior. The
specially developed proteins form
an invisible integrated protective

SAUBER 1.2016

film on the paint surface that withstands all kinds of weather, including harsh sunlight. This microscopically thin film smooths rough surfaces, allowing the paintwork toshine; the cleaned vehicles look likenew. The protein-rich protective film
also lends the exterior surface hydrophilic, that is to say, waterrepellent, properties, proven to last
up to three or four months. Thisrenders the surface largely dirtrepellent - dirt can no longer penetrate the paintwork; instead, it floats
on the protective film. This makes
washing procedures much easierand has a significant self-cleaning
effect: Rain or snow, ensure that dirt
is simply washed away from thepaintwork, particularly on areas ofthe vehicle that are difficult to access, such as roofs or gangway
connections. This self-cleaning alsomeans that the period of time between cleans is significantly lengthened. The protective film is renewedwith each washing process, without
creating any unwanted coatingbuild-up. Expensive and laborintensive deep cleaning is no longer
required with regular use ofLoClean products.

Hermann Becker
CEOReinwerk Solutions GmbHPHOTOS. Reinwerk Solutions
GmbHThe exterior cleaning of locomotives, buses and commercial vehicles is seeing a changing trend emerging for sustainable and highly
efficient yet cost-effective processes. Under the brand name of"LoClean", Reinwerk Solutions, specialist in the exterior cleaning ofvehicles and member of the rail vehicle cleaning working party, ispreparing the way for this turnaround by means of innovative surfactants and functional proteins that have a long-lasting effect. As aresult of this mildly alkaline cleaning system, costly wastewater
treatment is rendered a thing of the past.