Stratasys Rail Industry Solution is already being adopted by Angel Trains, Bombardier Transportation, Chiltern Railways, DB ESG, and Siemens Mobility.
This week Stratasys announced its new Rail Industry Solution which aims to help passenger trains keep moving with additive manufacturing (AM).
With its proven combination of Stratasys Fortus 3D printers plus ULTEM 9085 and Antero 800NA materials, both of which have passed the European Union’s Rail Standard EN 45545-2, rail operators can produce spare parts that meet strict smoke, fire, and toxicity certification requirements for long-haul and urban metro trains.
“In industry after industry, we continue to see organizations discover how additive manufacturing improves customer service, streamlines maintenance and operating costs, and helps engineer lighter, durable products,” Stratasys EMEA President Andreas Langfeld said. “Rail is no exception. The old model of keeping trains running through expensive physical inventory or slow and costly traditional manufacturing is being replaced by digital inventory and on-demand 3D printing. Indeed, this is exemplified by some of the biggest names in European passenger rail.”
Speaking during Formnext this week, based on one major U.S. commuter rail service, Stratasys’ AM consultancy Blueprint said that for every day a train set is out of service, it can cost the operator around €18,000. Often, that can be down to just a single sub €100 part being unavailable. With AM, train operators can get the parts they need, no matter how old or complex, within two days.
Major rail companies like Angel Trains, Bombardier Transportation, Chiltern Railways, DB ESG, and Siemens Mobility are already using Stratasys technology to create obsolete or and spare parts for their trains. UK-based Angel Trains, for example, unveiled earlier this year how it is using the Stratasys Rail Industry Solution to manufacture direct replacement parts including passenger arm rests, grab handles and equipment covers.
James Brown, Data and Performance Engineer at Angel Trains, said: “Stratasys Rail Qualified Materials and production-grade Fortus machines enable us to design and manufacture replacement parts quickly and reliably that meet all required railway standards. As such, we’re able to lower costs and lead times while reducing engineering time spent on managing obsolescence issues. This exciting technology gives rail operators peace of mind over their supply chain for older fleets and will ensure improvement to passenger experience in the future.”
It's not only spare parts where AM is having an impact on the rail sector. German manufacturer Bombardier Transportation is using the technology to accelerate the development of new trains by 3D printing interior and exterior train parts, such as air ducts, housings and cable holders. André Bialoscek, Head of Vehicle Physical Integration for Bombardier in Henningsdorf, Germany said the Rail Solution "has been a game-changer" for their department.
