Home Innovation 3D printing technology to deliver fast and sustainable rail parts

3D printing technology to deliver fast and sustainable rail parts

por Julian

Many of the trains currently being manufactured by Alstom already incorporate one or more parts created by 3D printing, also known as additive manufacturing. In Barcelona, Alstom has developed one of the Group’s ten 3D printing hubs worldwide. In fact, this centre was a pioneer in the development of additive manufacturing models for the railway sector.

 

Located in the heart of the Santa Perpètua factory, this centre specialises in plastics approved for use in rolling stock, highly resistant to fire and smoke. Thanks to its extensive experience, the Barcelona team is a global benchmark, managing projects for both the Catalan plant and other Alstom sites around the world, including post-processing and reverse engineering tasks.

 

Worldwide, Alstom has already produced more than 150,000 3D-printed parts and has the capacity to print three types of materials: polymers, ceramics, and metals, including 20 validated polymers and four metals (aluminium, stainless steel, high-performance steel, and titanium). 3D parts are produced for a wide range of projects, from headlamp cases for new high-speed trains to jigs that ease the screwing of holes in carbody shells, and steel covers for bogies in the Nordics, to mention a few.

 

The lead time, lower cost (especially when dealing with short series or discontinued products), and hard inventory reduction are some of the economic advantages of additive manufacturing. It also offers important benefits from an environmental standpoint: 3D printing is more sustainable because it uses less material than conventional technology, generating less scrap. The process also uses less energy because we can produce only the quantity needed.

 

 

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