Spare parts 3D printing for railways
More than 100 customers – 18,000 printed and sold parts – 1,500 different parts on our virtual stock. Up to 10% CO₂ savings via additive manufacturing.
Optimized rail spare parts thanks to additive manufacturing
Additive manufacturing using spare part 3D printing enables Siemens Mobility Rail Services to keep original parts available for rail traffic over decades and improve their designs – all based on 3D data and without a need for tools. What we’re offering is called Easy Sparovation Part®. This sustainable solution opens whole new possibilities for replacing and modernizing system parts and upgrading your vehicles with new components. For example, it provides you with spare parts equipped with newly integrated functions and significantly fewer individual components. In a joint exchange, "customer co-creation" we improve your spare parts on the basis of your own experience and design concepts. The know-how gained from this process will be transferred into new vehicle development projects.Benefits of additive manufacturing for rail industry
Additive manufacturing services for rail industry
- Consulting and training from our experts for your projects
- Measuring, scanning, and digitalizing your spare parts
- Engineering and re-engineering
- Spare parts 3D printing on demand and series manufacturing
- Testing, approval, and certification in compliance with all standards, laws, and regulations governing the rail industry
Our customers value the use of 3D printing in the spare parts business
With Easy Sparovation Part from Siemens Mobility Rail Services, spare parts are manufactured as required in co-creation: based on our competence in rail vehicles, engineering, and additive manufacturing, and together with our customers. Even complex geometries can be manufactured quickly, reliably, and flexibly – even with the smallest quantities. This enables the creation of new "improved spare parts" that can incorporate new insights, improvements, and additional functions.
Datasets are available at any time when future modifications are desired, as complete, end-to-end digital documentation is created as a by-product of the process. And that, in turn, ensures you fast, streamlined manufacturing processes in the future as well – even for obsolete parts. On top, Easy Sparovation Part is a sustainable way to replace your needed spare parts. Not only by a more material efficient production and integrated recycling concepts but also through shorter delivery ways – created at the manufacturer’s competence center, 3D printed where you need it. Quick and easy.
Spare parts 3D printing – unbroken data chain from designing to a high-quality 3D-printed part
3D printing finished parts layer by layer
The manufacturing process is called “additive” because the products to be manufactured by overlaying (“adding”) material layer by layer. In this process of 3D printing of spare parts, the feeder material is first prepared and subsequently thermally coalesced – for example by means of a laser beam – to form a three-dimensional structure. This enables fabrication of a practically unlimited variety of forms which can also be configured to models found in nature (bionics). The manufacturing process, which often entails use of complex material mixtures, can only be thoroughly controlled end to end in the industrial high-end range by digital means. Siemens Mobility is a pioneering leader in the pursuit of these techniques thanks to its additive manufacturing infrastructure, rigorously thorough approach to digitalization, and decades of expertise in industrial rail components.
Additive manufacturing from plastics
Our railway components made from plastic meet the current fire protection standard (DIN EN 45545). The finished plastic parts may also be supplied with completed protective paint coatings. Siemens’ Competence Center for Additive Manufacturing in Erlangen, Germany is equipped with multiple fused deposition modeling (FDM) machines for printing with rail-compliant, fire-resistant polymer like ULTEM and other materials on request.
Additive manufacturing from metals
With the manufacturing possibilities available for metals using the laser powder bed fusion (L-PBF) process at the Competence Center in Erlangen, metal parts can be printed on demand – for example from stainless steel or aluminum. Further materials on request. Siemens Mobility’s portfolio also includes the necessary post processing (e.g. milling, turning).
Our promises for 3D printing of spare parts
- Industry standards governing additive manufacturing (certified by the German authorized inspection agency TÜV Süd (certificate designation: Additive Manufacturing) to ISO 9001, ISO 14001 and OHSAS 18001 requirements)
- Declaration of conformity and all required documents included with delivery, e.g. fire protection standards DIN EN 45545, stress analysis for strength verification (durability approval), and materials analysis
- Highest process stability and quality assurance
Additive manufacturing is beneficial and profitable in at least four cases, if not more:
You benefit from fabricating your railway spare parts by additive manufacturing in particular in the following circumstances:
- Rail spare parts required in only small quantities
- Highly specialized parts to customized demand
- If a component is no longer available because it has become obsolete
- If delivery lead times will be long, i.e. if no manufacturing capacities are available locally.
In case of accidents, spare parts are deliverable worldwide over night
Siemens Mobility is expanding its global network of industrial 3D printers with the goal of custom-manufacturing spare parts quickly near the customer. 3D printing industrial parts will be the future of a cost-effective and time saving spare part management. Our goal is to offer you worldwide overnight spare part delivery in case of accidents or other emergencies.
