Siemens Mobility Overcomes Time & Cost Barriers of Traditional Low Volume Production for German Rail Industry with Stratasys ...
April 24 2017 - 3:00AM
Business Wire
- Significant reduction in lead times for
customized final production parts from weeks to days with
Stratasys FDM 3D printing, while high tooling costs are
eradicated
- Ability to 3D print one-off parts for
German transport services provider, SWU Verkehr GmbH, enables
Siemens Mobility to provide customized tram replacement parts ‘on
demand,’ eliminating unnecessary inventory costs
- Video: Learn how Siemens
Mobility is overcoming time and cost barriers of traditional low
volume production with Stratasys 3D printing
Stratasys Ltd. (Nasdaq:SSYS), the 3D printing and additive
manufacturing solutions company, today announced that the Mobility
Division of global engineering and technology solutions leader,
Siemens, is pioneering the use of Stratasys FDM 3D printing
technology by producing customized final production parts for
German transport services provider, Stadtwerke Ulm/Neu Ulm (SWU)
Verkehr GmbH.
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Siemens Mobility is using its Fortus
900mc Production 3D Printer and Stratasys synthetic materials to 3D
print customized production parts for trams (Photo: Stratasys
Ltd.)
Using a Stratasys Fortus 900mc Production 3D Printer, Siemens
Mobility is able to overcome the barriers of traditional low-volume
production by 3D printing final tram parts in a matter of days
compared to weeks with traditional methods, while also eradicating
the need for costly tooling.
Located in Erlangen, Krefeld, Berlin and Munich, Germany,
Siemens Mobility develops technology for vehicles and
infrastructure for transport machines. Prior to its 3D printing
production capability, Siemens Mobility faced a challenge in being
able to meet increasing customer demands for one-off customized
parts. For the rail industry, if a replacement part is not in
stock, Siemens would need to purchase the machinery or tools to
manufacture it. This is not only a lengthy process, but from a
cost-perspective, Siemens was limited to only taking orders above
10 parts, with lower volumes unable to justify the production
cost.
“Our production services for end-use parts have become much more
flexible and tailored to our customers’ needs since we introduced
the Stratasys Fortus 900mc Production 3D Printer into our
manufacturing process,” explains Tina Eufinger, Business
Development, Siemens Mobility Division. “Before we integrated 3D
printing into production, we were forced to produce higher
quantities of parts in order to make the project cost-effective.
For small volume part demands from customers, we would store excess
parts until they were used, discarded or became too outdated to
use. With the Fortus 900mc, we can now create a design that is 100
percent customized to specific requirements and optimized several
times before it is 3D printed. This takes our production time down
from weeks to a matter of days, and makes it now cost-effective
enough to extend our customer service offering to one-off part
production.”
Increasing business performance with advanced
manufacturing
This cost-effective low volume manufacturing is being
exemplified by Siemens’ work for SWU Verkehr GmbH, which offers
transport services across 10 rail networks in the inner city of
Ulm. 3D printed parts include customized armrests for the driver
seat and housing covers for the ‘coupler’ (the cover of the link
between two tram carriages). In order to meet the German rail
industry’s criteria for production parts, Siemens is using a flame,
smoke and toxicity (FST) compliant synthetic thermoplastic 3D
printing material from Stratasys to align with necessary fire
protection requirements. This enables Siemens to employ the 3D
printed parts – which serve as lightweight and durable transport
parts – directly into the trams in Ulm.
Andreas Düvel, Siemens Mobility Sales Representative Customer
Service, explains: “Customers such as SWU Verkehr GmbH see
‘availability’ as the most important asset to their business –
trams and services need to be available and run constantly
throughout the day in order for the transport company to be
profitable. We at Siemens are regularly faced with this challenge,
however the ability to quickly and cost-effectively 3D print
customized parts specific to customer requirements enables clients
such as SWU Verkehr GmbH to be closely involved in the design and
production of its own parts.
“Through customized additive manufacturing we are achieving
maximum customer satisfaction, as the client is actively
participating in the creation and optimization of its parts. This
would simply not be possible with mass production,” he adds.
Transforming business models with 3D printing
Beyond offering 3D printed production parts for customers in the
transport industry, Siemens Mobility division has expanded its
business branch online, with customers able to order customized 3D
printed parts. Customers who require replacement parts or who need
to make changes to existing ones can go online and request the
desired part, which is subsequently 3D printed and delivered to
them. This has given birth to an on-demand production business
model, whereby customers can have part requirements met how and
when they need them.
“Siemens is a prime example of how 3D printing can make
customized low volume production profitable for businesses – not
just for the manufacturer in this case, but also for the end-use
customer, the rail industry,” explains Andy Middleton, President,
Stratasys EMEA. “With the ability to localize manufacturing and 3D
print on-demand, entire supply chains can be redefined with large
stocks of obsolete parts no longer required. For the rail industry,
the likes of SWU Verkehr GmbH can now work closely with
manufacturers to design and optimize 3D printed parts when they
need them, ensuring trams are operational and that there is minimal
disruption to public services.”
Video: Learn how Siemens Mobility is overcoming
time and cost barriers of traditional low volume production with
Stratasys 3D printing
For more than 25 years, Stratasys Ltd.
(NASDAQ:SSYS) has been a defining force and dominant player in
3D printing and additive manufacturing – shaping the way things are
made. Headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota and Rehovot, Israel,
the company empowers customers across a broad range of vertical
markets by enabling new paradigms for design and manufacturing. The
company’s solutions provide customers with unmatched design freedom
and manufacturing flexibility – reducing time-to-market and
lowering development costs, while improving designs and
communications. Stratasys subsidiaries include MakerBot and
Solidscape, and the Stratasys ecosystem includes 3D printers for
prototyping and production; a wide range of 3D printing materials;
parts on-demand via Stratasys Direct Manufacturing; strategic
consulting and professional services; and the Thingiverse and
GrabCAD communities with over 2 million 3D printable files for free
designs. With more than 2,700 employees and 1,200 granted or
pending additive manufacturing patents, Stratasys has received more
than 30 technology and leadership awards. Visit us online at:
www.stratasys.com or http://blog.stratasys.com/, and follow us on
LinkedIn.
Stratasys, Stratasys signet logo, Connex and PolyJet are
trademarks or registered trademarks of Stratasys Ltd. and/or its
subsidiaries or affiliates. Autodesk and Fusion 360 are trademarks
of Autodesk Inc. and/or its subsidiaries and/or affiliates.
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