Companies in the railway industry have started adopting 3D printing technologies to carry out production and maintenance work. How effective is this technology and to what extent is it supporting the industry? Stefanie Brickwede, head of additive manufacturing at Deutsche Bahn and managing director of Mobility goes Additive discusses this topic. The level of interest and awareness of 3D printing in the rail sector has changed dramatically over the past two years.
They remain on the tracks for decades, travelling at high speeds and carrying different kinds of cargo – from humans to hazardous goods – in all kinds of weather conditions. To build a good train that lasts the distance and provides comfort to passengers requires a large amount of very high quality components.
But what happens when these components break? While it is relatively easy to find replacements for recently manufactured parts, when it comes to components build 20 to 30 years ago, the process if far less straightforward.
In many cases, railway companies find that production of the spare parts they need has discontinued or that manufacturers are no longer in business. Given the small batch volumes required, asking a traditional manufacturer to design the part required often makes no economic sense for either party.
“When we buy trains we get the service level agreement for delivery of spare parts for around 15 years,” says Stefanie Brickwede, head of additive manufacturing at Deutsche Bahn and managing director of Mobility goes Additive. “After that time, we look for the parts on the world market and we cannot get them.”