Additive production of spare parts for the needs of the Russian railway industry

Additive technologies in the last few years have begun to be seen as a solution that can significantly affect the face of logistics, allowing rapid production on demand where elements are needed. This allows you to reduce costs associated with the transport of elements, but also to generate savings resulting from the lack of need for storage, among others spare parts.

More and more companies from various industries decide to additive production of spare parts in the “on-demand” system. Whirlpool, Daimler or its subsidiary Mercedes Benz. Siemens Mobility has also joined the companies that will use 3D printers in the production of spare parts, which has decided to implement two Stratasys 3D printers, Fortus 450mc. The devices play an important role in the “Easy Sparovation Part” project, which produces spare parts for the Sapsan RZD high-speed train fleet.

Siemens Mobility, using its knowledge of the railway industry and additive technologies, is able to produce train spare parts quickly and cheaply. Activities undertaken by Siemens Mobility are related to the recently won tender, under which 13 additional Velaro high-speed trains will be built, which will enrich the existing fleet of 16 machines. In addition, the company’s specialists will be responsible for maintaining and servicing trains for the next 30 years.

Two Fortus 450 month 3D printers were installed in St. Petersburg and Moscow. Thanks to two different locations, Siemens Mobility specialists are able to produce spare parts while minimizing transport costs.

Fortus 450 mc is a device that successfully combines additive technology with serial production. These machines are recommended for the production of highly specialized tools and parts as well as functional and durable prototypes. At the same time, the manufacturer of the equipment provides materials from which both internal parts of the cabin and external elements resistant to extreme temperatures can be made.

Actions taken are the prelude to the “Easy Sparovation Part” project, which aims to optimize train maintenance using 3D printing, as well as to create a digital inventory of the original parts of trains taking into account their operating time. An online parts index database can help you quickly respond to spare parts needs to meet tight delivery deadlines.

A similar project was carried out by Siemens Mobility in Germany, where the implementation of 3D printing methods allowed to reduce the execution time by up to 95% (in the case of some elements) in comparison with traditional production methods.

Source: investors.stratasys.com