Siemens is using Stratasys FDM 3D printing technology to custom build final production parts for trams in the German city of Ulm.
Using a Stratasys Fortus 900mc Production 3D Printer, Siemens Mobility has overcome barriers of low-volume production, by 3D printing tram parts for the transport corporation Stadtwerke Ulm Verkehr, eradicating the need for costly tooling.
Before 3D printing parts, Siemens Mobility faced a challenge to meet increasing demand for one-off customised 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. Siemens was limited to only taking orders above 10 parts, with lower volumes unable to justify the production cost.
Tina Eufinger, Business Development, Siemens Mobility Division, said: “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.
By PTA78 [GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html) or CC-BY-SA-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/)], via Wikimedia Commons
Siemens tram in Ulm, Germany
“Before we integrated 3D printing into production, we were forced to produce higher quantities of parts 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For small volume part demands from customers, we would store excess parts until they were used, discarded or became too outdated to use.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 per cent customised to specific requirements and optimised 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.”
Siemens has pioneered the manufacturing in its work for SWU Verkehr, which runs light rail services on ten rail lines in Ulm, Baden-Württemberg.
3D printed parts include customised armrests for the driver seat and housing covers for the coupler, the link between carriages. To meet the German rail industry’s criteria for production parts, Siemens is using a flame, smoke and toxicity compliant synthetic thermoplastic 3D printing material from Stratasys to align with 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, said: “Customers such as SWU Verkehr see ‘availability’ as the most important asset to their business – trams and services need to be available and run constantly throughout the day 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 customised parts specific to customer requirements enables clients such as SWU Verkehr to be closely involved in the design and production of its own parts.
“Through customised additive manufacturing we are achieving maximum customer satisfaction, as the client is actively participating in the creation and optimisation of its parts. This would simply not be possible with mass production.”
Andy Middleton, President, Stratasys Europe, said: “Siemens is a prime example of how 3D printing can make customised low volume production profitable for businesses – not just for the manufacturer in this case, but also for the end-use customer, the rail industry.
“With the ability to localise 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 can now work closely with manufacturers to design and optimise 3D printed parts when they need them, ensuring trams are operational and that there is minimal disruption to public services.”
