Stratasys F900 is being installed at Bombardier Transportation's largest manufacturing site in Hennigsdorf, Germany.
Stratasys has announced German manufacturer, Bombardier Transportation will adopt its large-scale industrial 3D printing technology to accelerate final part production and reduce spare part inventory for rail applications across the DACH region.
The company, which is one of the world's largest providers of rail equipment manufacturing and servicing, will utilise Stratasys’ F900 3D Printer to produce end-use rail parts, as well as manufacturing tools and prototypes for trains and trams.
The Stratasys F900 3D Printer is being installed at Bombardier Transportation’s largest manufacturing site in Hennigsdorf, Germany. The manufacturer plans to use the technology to 3D print interior and exterior train parts, such as air ducts, housings and cable holders, along with customised rail tools to aid the production process. Parts will primarily support the specific production demands of German, Swiss and Austrian rail and tram companies.
“The Stratasys F900 3D Printer allows us to widen our service offering in such a way that we are now able to 3D print large spare parts, customised rail parts and manufacturing tools – all in-house and on-demand,” comments André Bialoscek, Head of Vehicle Physical Integration Hennigsdorf, Bombardier. “Having previously used fibre glass and tin for train components, the ability to now utilise ULTEM 9085 resin meets our application criteria and takes us to a new level in terms of reducing the costs and lengthy lead times associated with those traditional materials.”
The F900 3D Printer’s large build volume and ULTEM 9085 resin compatibility make it ideal for production applications within the transport industry due to its high strength-to-weight ratio and flame-smoke-toxicity rating, crucial to achieving compliance to the Rail Standard EN45545-2. Launched at RAPID + TCT last year, the machine has already been adopted by a number of users across various transportation sectors including GKN Aerospace and UK-based engineering service provider, Dash-CAE.
Andreas Langfeld, President EMEA Stratasys, comments: “Our FDM-based additive manufacturing technology offers rail companies and maintenance service providers advanced, rail-certified materials, large build trays for bigger rail parts, and importantly, the highest level of print reliability and repeatability in the industry. We look forward to working closely with Bombardier Transportation to support the deployment of this technology within their operations and enable them to produce customised rail parts on-demand – faster and more cost-effectively than ever before.”
