EN 15085

What is EN 15085?

EN 15085 is a series of standards setting out quality requirements for welding in the railway industry - the manufacture, modernisation and repair of rail vehicles and their components. The standard is required by European buyers and railway operators.

Implementing EN 15085 requires simultaneous conformity with EN ISO 3834-2 (comprehensive quality requirements for welding).

Classification of plants (CL)

• CL1 - Highest level – dynamically loaded, safety-relevant welded joints
• CL2 - High level – welded joints important for the functioning of the vehicle
• CL3 - Standard level – less loaded welded joints
• CL4 - Basic level – welding of auxiliary and non-load-bearing components

Main requirements

• Personnel qualifications - welders, robot operators, welding coordinators
• Welding procedures - WPQR to PN-EN ISO 15614
• Required conformity with EN ISO 3834-2 - comprehensive quality requirements
• Welding coordinator - IWE or IWT with railway experience
• Documentation - WPS, welding logs, inspection reports, material traceability
• Testing and inspection - NDT, visual inspection, mechanical testing of joints

Cobots in EN 15085

• Automated welding of railway parts while maintaining full repeatability
• Operator qualification to EN ISO 14732 required
• Process covered by a WPQR - validation of robot parameters is necessary
• Automatic recording of welding data

Laser welding in EN 15085

• Permitted once the process has been qualified in a WPQR to EN ISO 15614-11
• Ideal for thin materials - minimising distortion
• Higher welding speed while maintaining quality
• Requires a qualified operator and parameter monitoring

Benefits of certification

• European tenders - a condition for taking part in railway contracts
• Trust of institutional customers - PKP, DB, SNCF and other operators
• Modern technologies - integrating cobots and lasers in the railway environment
• Safety - systematic quality control of critical joints