Sheela to supply foam to the specifications of European railway operators

Greater Noida, India – Sheela Foam has emerged as one of the largest suppliers of PU foam for seats to the Indian Railways. Currently, it provides PU foam for various types of seating, ranging from chair car to sleeper berths. But it is now eyeing the European transport market.

“We are supplying polyurethane foam for 250 coaches per month and for around 3,000 coaches annually and each coach requires around 500 kg of polyurethane,” said Vasant Singal, president, technical sales, Sheela Foam. The company commenced foam supplies to Indian Railways in the last couple of years and has capacity to supply foam for 1,000 coaches per month. 

Sheela Foam supplies PU foam that complies with European standards EN45545-2, which are fire safety standards specifically designed for the railway sector. These standards have now been adopted by Indian Railways not only for cushioning seats and berths but also for broader applications in passenger coaches to enhance comfort and safety.

“Earlier regular foam was used, which was toxic and during train mishaps immediately catches fire, release toxic fumes and smoke causing casualties due to asphyxiation much before burning,” said Singal

The EN45545-2 standards encompass several key parameters, including flame spread, ignitability, heat release, smoke opacity, and toxicity.

Sheela Foam supplies PU foam in accordance with the highest HL3 standards. Railway vehicles are classified based on the fire hazard level associated with their design and operation. The hazard levels are categorised as HL1, HL2, and HL3, with HL1 representing the lowest requirement and HL3 representing the highest.

Singal said: “We are now supplying PU foam meeting the highest European standards, which also opens new opportunities in the international railway business. Technical foam offers lot of opportunity in overseas market as manufacturers are few and selling on high premium.” 

Indian Railways is currently considering the use of lighter foam inside the coaches. Presently, each coach utilises 500kg of PU foam, but Indian Railways aims to reduce this amount to 250kg per coach, thereby improving fuel efficiency levels.