Stratasys FDM 3D Printer helps Siemens Mobility print “on demand” rail parts
Staff
Additive Manufacturing 3D printing StratasysWith the Fortus 900mc, Siemens can now create a design that is customized to specific requirements and optimized several times before it is 3D printed.
Siemens Mobility is using a a Stratasys Fortus 900mc Production 3D printer to help reduce lead times and cut down tooling costs when it comes to providing one-off parts for German transport services provider, SWU Verkehr GmbH.
Siemens Mobility’s Stratasys Fortus 900mc Production 3D Printer (Photo courtesy of Stratasys).
By using 3D printing, Siemens Mobility is able to reduce the barriers found in traditional low-volume production. Located in Erlangen, Krefeld, Berlin and Munich, Germany, Siemens Mobility develops technology for vehicles and infrastructure for transport machines. Siemens Mobility faced a challenge in being able to meet increasing customer demands for one-off customized parts, which required purchasing expensive machinery and tools to manufacture.
“Our production services for end-use parts have become much more flexible and tailored to our customers’ needs since we introduced the Stratasys Fortus 900mc Production 3D Printer into our manufacturing process,” explains Tina Eufinger, Business Development, Siemens Mobility Division. “Before we integrated 3D printing into production, we were forced to produce higher quantities of parts in order to make the project cost-effective…With the Fortus 900mc, we can now create a design that is 100 percent customized to specific requirements and optimized several times before it is 3D printed. This takes our production time down from weeks to a matter of days, and makes it now cost-effective enough to extend our customer service offering to one-off part production.”
Customized, low-volume production parts, such as this driver seat armrest for the SWU Verkehr GmbH, are now produced on-demand using Stratasys FDM 3D printing (Photo courtesy of Stratasys).
Siemens Mobility expanded their 3D printing capabilities for use with SWU Verkehr GmbH, which offers transport services across 10 rail networks in the inner city of Ulm. 3D printed parts include customized armrests for the driver seat and housing covers for the ‘coupler’. In order to meet the German rail industry’s criteria for production parts, Siemens is using a flame, smoke and toxicity (FST) compliant synthetic thermoplastic 3D printing material from Stratasys to align with necessary fire protection requirements.
“…The ability to quickly and cost-effectively 3D print customized parts specific to customer requirements enables clients such as SWU Verkehr GmbH to be closely involved in the design and production of its own parts,” explains Andreas Düvel, Siemens Mobility Sales Representative Customer Service. “Through customized additive manufacturing we are achieving maximum customer satisfaction, as the client is actively participating in the creation and optimization of its parts. This would simply not be possible with mass production.”
Siemens Mobility division has expanded its business branch online, enabling customers to order customized 3D printed parts. Customers who require replacement parts or who need to make changes to existing ones can go online and request the desired part, which is subsequently 3D printed and delivered to them.
