Large-Scale 3D Printing for Railway

3D PRINTED TRAIN PARTS REDUCE DOWNTIME AND LOWER COSTS OF RAIL MANUFACTURING

Railway manufacturers and service providers regularly require custom parts on demand – as well as spare parts – for a broad range of different train and tram models. Frequent damage to front panels and other components forces tram manufacturers to maintain a vast inventory of different spare parts for various trams.

The incredible speed and versatility of Massivit 3D’s additive manufacturing systems allow railway operators to print railway parts, minimizing time spent for repairs, while saving money. Complex forms can be achieved with digital accuracy. A variety of proprietary 3D printing materials allows for the properties required for various applications in the rail industry, including resistance to heat, pressure, flame retardancy, and certain types of chemicals. Interior parts can also be printed and reinforced with composite materials, enabling the rapid and modular reconfiguration of cabs, passenger cabins, galleys, and more.

APPLICATIONS

• Exterior Train and Tram Panels
• Custom Spare Parts
• Interior Custom Fittings & Ergonomic Dashboard
• Fiberglass Composite Parts Based on 3D Printed Cor
• Prototypes for Performance & Validation Tests

ADVANTAGES

• Print any part you need, whenever you need it – without maintaining huge warehouses of spare inventory or waiting for parts to be shipped from elsewhere
• Speed of printing enables trains and trams to have maximum operational time, improving overall efficiency and saving money
• Large-scale 3D printing minimizes time otherwise spent on joining multiple smaller pieces into one, and eliminates the need for hand-crafted molds and the storage space required to house them.

Image credit: @ALSTOM. Tram front fairing 3D printed by Stratiforme Industries on a Massivit 5000 large-scale 3D printer.