Ability to rapidly and cost-effectively 3D
print replacement parts and production tools on-demand eliminates
obsolete parts and warehousing costs
Manufacturing time per part reduced by up to
95%
Video: Learn more about the use of 3D printing
at the Siemens Mobility RRX Rail Service Center
Siemens Mobility GmbH, part of Siemens AG, has opened its first
digital rail maintenance center – the Siemens Mobility RRX Rail
Service Center. Located in Dortmund-Eving, Germany, the new
maintenance depot offers the highest level of digitalization in the
rail industry, with advanced FDM 3D printing from Stratasys
(Nasdaq: SSYS) at the heart of the depot’s servicing operation.
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The Siemens Mobility RRX Rail Service
Center is Siemens' first digital rail maintenance center, with
Stratasys FDM 3D printing at the heart of its servicing operation
(Photo: Business Wire)
Siemens Mobility has now eliminated the need for inventory of
selected spare parts, reduced the manufacturing time of these parts
by up to 95% and can now respond to all internal and customer
demands seamlessly.
Renowned as Siemens Mobility’s flagship site, the RRX Rail
Service Center is expecting around a hundred trains to enter the
depot every month. This level of throughput puts pressure on the
supply chain and requires robust manufacturing solutions that can
fulfill the wide-ranging needs of customers quickly and
cost-effectively. As a result, the company invested in a Stratasys
Fortus 450mc Production 3D Printer to produce replacement parts and
tooling on-demand.
“We believe our RRX Rail Service Center is the most advanced
train maintenance center in the world,” says Michael Kuczmik, Head
of Additive Manufacturing, Siemens Mobility GmbH, Customer Service.
“Bringing together a range of innovative digital technologies, we
can significantly increase the efficiency of our customer’s rail
operations. Stratasys FDM additive manufacturing plays an integral
role, enabling us to optimize spare parts for longer life cycles,
at reduced cost and in shorter timeframes than ever before.”
Increased Customer Responsiveness with Customized
Solutions
According to Kuczmik, the ability to 3D print customized
replacement parts on-demand has increased its flexibility to meet
customer requirements.
“Every train has to go through maintenance several times a year.
As you can imagine, all our customers would like this process to be
as quick as possible, but they still expect maximum levels of
detail, safety and quality in the work we do. We also have to
consider unplanned or last-minute jobs, and if you look at the
different train models and companies we service, this requires a
lot of customized solutions. This is where our Fortus 450mc fits in
perfectly, providing us the ability to rapidly and cost-effectively
produce one-off, customized production parts,” comments
Kuczmik.
Previously, Siemens would rely on traditional methods such as
casting to meet customer demands. Taking approximately 6 weeks to
manufacture a final customized part using casting resulted in
lengthy lead times for customers, and for one-off parts this was
financially unviable. To make it cost effective, the team would
often cast large volumes which resulted in lots of obsolete
parts.
“Using the Fortus 450mc we can 3D print spare parts in a matter
of hours. Parts that took 6 weeks, can now be produced in 13 hours.
Within a week, we can iterate and optimize the design and then 3D
print a final, customized production-grade part. This has enabled
us to reduce the manufacturing time of each part by up to 95%,
which has significantly sped up our ability to respond to
customers,” says Tina Eufinger, Business Development Additive
Manufacturing, Siemens Mobility Division.
Agile Production
Beyond 3D printed replacement parts, the team is using Stratasys
3D printing to increase its tooling capabilities.
One such example is an essential ‘connector’ tool that is used
to maintain train bogies (the chassis or framework that carries the
wheelset). Tools for this application are notoriously hard to
produce via conventional methods, as they have extremely complex
shapes and require a high-level of customization. In addition,
bogies weigh several tons, therefore tough and durable materials
are required to withstand the significant forces when the vehicle
is moving or braking.
Siemens is now using its Fortus 450mc to turnaround one-off
tools customized to each bogie in a matter of hours. To meet the
demanding material characteristics required, the team is using
industrial-grade ULTEM 9085 thermoplastic material.
“Well-manufactured connectors are essential tools for the
effective and safe maintenance of bogies, therefore finding
additive manufacturing materials strong enough to withstand such
pressures has been an important exercise,” explains Kuczmik. “The
ULTEM 9085 material is tough, enabling us to leverage all the
customization benefits of 3D printing and replace our traditional
manufacturing method for this tooling application.
“The ability to 3D print customized tools and spare parts
whenever we need them, with no minimum quantity, has transformed
our supply chain. We have reduced our dependency on outsourcing
tools via suppliers and reduced cost per part, while also opening
up more revenue streams by being able to service more low-volume
jobs cost-effectively and efficiently,” he concludes.
Stratasys is a global leader in additive manufacturing or
3D printing technology, and is the manufacturer of FDM® and
PolyJet™ 3D Printers. The company’s technologies are used to create
prototypes, manufacturing tools, and production parts for
industries, including aerospace, automotive, healthcare, consumer
products and education. For 30 years, Stratasys products have
helped manufacturers reduce product-development time, cost, and
time-to-market, as well as reduce or eliminate tooling costs and
improve product quality. The Stratasys 3D printing ecosystem of
solutions and expertise includes: 3D printers, materials, software,
expert services, and on-demand parts production. Online
at: www.stratasys.com,
http://blog.stratasys.com and LinkedIn.
Stratasys is a registered trademark and the Stratasys signet is
a trademark of Stratasys Ltd. and/or its subsidiaries or
affiliates. All other trademarks are the property of their
respective owners.
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