Equipment Painting: Guidelines and Standards

Equipment Painting Overview

• Painting equipment acts as a protective barrier, provides aesthetics, and prolongs life
• Equipment should be procured with life-long painting using modern techniques like Powder Coating
• If repainting is needed, it should be done before damage to the equipment casing

Equipment Requiring Regular Painting

• Main items include antenna towers, emergency telephone socket posts, cable joint markings on OHE masts, battery and telephone stands, train control telephone apparatus, modem stands, metallic outdoor telecom items, cable route markers, and passenger amenity boards

Equipment Requiring Occasional Painting

• This includes control room equipment, way station control equipment, and equipment racks and ladders

Color Scheme

• Woodwork should be finished with natural color varnish
• The original color scheme should be followed when repainting or use colors close to the original if not available
• Paint emergency telephone socket posts with alternating black and white paints in 15 cm lengths each
• Red paint is used for marking cable joints/emergency sockets on OHE masts

Painting Intervals

• Woodwork should be polished every 2 years
• Outdoor equipment should be painted every 3 years
• Indoor equipment should be painted every 4 years
• Emergency telephone socket posts/OHE masts for cable joints & sockets should be done yearly
• These painting intervals can be modified based on local atmospheric conditions

Painting Program Responsibilities

• Each SSE/JE is responsible for ensuring telecommunication equipment is painted and clean
• Each SSE/JE should create a painting schedule with quantities based on paint scales fixed by Sr.DSTE
• The painting work to be completed via an outsourcing agency

Painting Register

• Each SSE/JE must maintain a painting register, one page for each equipment on their section
• Dates of when painting work starts and completes must be added to the register

Inspection Protocol

• SSE/JE makes sure outsourced work satisfies instructions and makes progress
• SrDSTE ensures painting adheres to program; inspection sees equipment is properly painted per instructions

General Instructions: Precautions

• Store paints in a cool, dry place away from flames
• Closed containers prevent material loss
• Open containers should be avoided, especially with quick-drying paints

General Instructions: Paint Mixing

• Paints must be prepared with standard specifications from pigments and pastes
• Do not add linseed oil turpentine to ready-mixed paints
• Kerosene should not be mixed with paints

Painting Steel Works

• Metal must be cleaned of dirt, scale, old paint, and rust; paint when dry
• Apply 3 coats; the initial two coats consist of an approved primer, followed by a specific color and quality
• If old paint isn't blistering/cracking during repainting, it can be used as a foundation

Blistering/Cracking Patches: Steel Surfaces

• When blistering, scaling, or cracking is present, clean the affected areas down to the steel and treat as a new structure
• Metal surfaces cleaned via scrapping, or scrubbing with brickbats
• No chemicals; old paint may be burnt and scrapped off

Applying Paint

• Paint applied with brushes; spread smoothly and thinly
• Rags/waste cotton should not be used
• Brushes to be cleaned in driers

Painting Telecom Towers

• Paint telecom towers in accordance with Civil Aviation Regulations
• Towers are painted with alternating international orange and white bands, each with 5 meter, starting with orange at the top
• Towers should be repainted every 5 years, taking into account the conditions and climate
• Take care galvanization is not affected
• Site engineers will monitor tower paintings done by outside agencies that lease/use towers in the Railway area. Deficiencies are reported to relevant parties and senior engineers to ensure action