Railway and Transport

3D printing in the railway and transport sector

3D Printing and the Railway Sector

Present in many areas, 3D printing is also making headlines in the railway sector. The technology offers numerous advantages to operators in the sector, especially in terms of speed and production costs. Whether it’s designing armrests, seats, or other components for trains, additive manufacturing has proven to be a more than viable alternative on many occasions. To better understand the different uses of 3D printing in the railway sector, today proposes to look back at some of the most important projects in the sector.

Why Are Railway Companies Adopting Industrial 3D Printing?

Building a train is no small feat, as it requires high-quality components to keep the train on the tracks, usually for decades.

But what happens when some components break? It can be relatively easy to find replacements for recently manufactured parts, however, when it comes to components created 20 or 30 years ago, the process becomes complicated.

In many cases, railway undertakings are faced with the situation where the production of the spare parts they need is interrupted or the manufacturers are no longer in business. Given the limited number of spare parts needed, redesigning the component and manufacturing it, using traditional methods adapted to high-volume production, often makes no economic sense.

The daily cost of a train’s downtime is also quite high, prompting railway companies to look for new ways to produce obsolete spare parts faster and cheaper.

3D printing is becoming one of the technologies that can solve such problems. It’s a digital manufacturing technology, which means it’s based on digital workflows and doesn’t require additional tools, such as molds, to create a part.

Tool-free production, enabled by 3D printing, can significantly reduce the production time of obsolete spare parts, in some cases by up to 95%. The process is also often paired with reverse engineering, particularly when the original design of a part has been lost.

In this way, railway companies can speed up the process of maintaining trains, bringing them back into service more efficiently than before.

The first identified 3D printed parts were coffee machine parts, coat hooks, steering wheel covers, headrest structures, and even Braille signage for blind travelers. However, the list of parts that can be 3D printed for the railway industry is constantly expanding.

Another driving factor for the adoption of 3D printing in the railway industry is the ability to produce manufacturing aids such as jigs and fasteners, faster and on demand. While this is a less publicized use case, 3D printed tools are typically lighter than traditional counterparts and can be ergonomically designed, ensuring greater ease of use for workers.

3D Printing Technologies Used for Railway Parts

Most 3D printed spare parts and tools for the railway industry are produced using polymer additive technologies, such as fused filament fabrication (FFF) and selective laser sintering (SLS). The technologies are optimized to work with high-performance thermoplastics, such as nylon and ULTEM.

To be used for train components, these materials must comply with industry fire safety standards. Several companies offer flame retardant thermoplastics. Stratasys, for example, has developed a material that complies with the EN45545-2 rail standard for fire safety.

Markforged, a developer of composite 3D printers, recently introduced a nylon-based flame-retardant composite material. The material is intended to expand the range of applications of 3D printing in the railway sector, as well as in the aerospace, automotive and defense industries.

While most 3D printed parts for the railway industry are polymers, metal 3D printing is also gaining traction. Technologies such as Selective Laser Melting (SLM) and Metal Binder Jetting are more frequently adopted to make parts with metals such as aluminum, steel, and, more recently, titanium.

3D Printing in the Rail Industry: A Transformative Impact

The benefits of using 3D printing in the railway industry are becoming increasingly apparent. Companies in the industry are eager to implement the technology, address issues related to outdated spare parts and long lead times for end-use tools and components.

However, the examples above show that for most companies, the 3D printing journey has only just begun. It will take time and money to figure out how to use the technology to its full potential. But the reward expected at the end of the journey promises to have a transformative and positive impact on supply chains and rail service operations.

Transportation Challenge

3D printing will offer numerous opportunities to provide new approaches and solutions to existing transportation problems, while also providing efficient ways to work and develop designs. At the same time, technology is likely to pose many challenges to the way transportation agencies plan and conduct their business. For example, the time for decision-making and planning horizons will be reduced. Transportation patterns are likely to change, and 20-30 year transportation plans may be substantially obsolete quickly. In addition, changes in transportation logistics could seriously affect the need for and financing of major port and intermodal capital projects that depend on increased freight and supply chain traffic overseas. These circumstances will require transport decision-makers to be agile and decisive.

Planning the movement of goods

Supply chain logistics is probably the first large-scale activity affected, starting with the aftermarket industry. It will follow most of the manufacturing and construction distribution, reducing the current production of items from afar and distribution costs. Therefore, many centralized manufacturing operations will give way to small production centers close to end-users and/or companies printing their own product needs. Corollary impacts could include:

• Different truck traffic patterns and changes in truck type use, such as vans and smaller trucks.
• Port traffic and long-distance distribution are likely to reduce, causing a decline in the cargo industry, as more 3D printing materials can be produced in this country. This will strain many long-term port strategic plans and funding for new or expanded facilities and intermodal connections to meet demand and could alter congestion management plans.
• • As 3D printing moves closer to end-users, traditional 15-20-year business models for manufacturing will give way to agile business strategies that can quickly shift location and products to meet new needs. This means that traditional transport planning involving the relationship between job centres and housing may not be as predictable; It will require transport planners to be agile in how they deal with changes in local mobility needs.
• A reduction in air cargo can be expected which also affects urgent and high-value load levels, as parts can be produced when and where they are needed.

Design and Materials

• 3D printing will provide decision-makers in the transportation industry with creative opportunities to design structures and structures that were previously not possible or were too expensive. A small example is noise walls, using 3D printing the designs and materials of the noise walls will not be limited to the available molds and could be designed to reflect the identity of the community, providing an engaging demonstration in public gatherings.
• Small bridges and bus shelters could be fabricated at or near the site and could be designed to fit the environment while the structures maintain their integrity and safety.
• Composite casings that not only strengthen bridge piers and reduce the need to replace bridges could be produced on-site, reducing costs and accelerating the ability to quickly restore bridge functionality.

Transportation Organization Management and Change Planning

• Transportation planning will be impacted by new technology, as new methods and tools will be available to planners through 3D applications. Public outreach and environmental compliance could be made easier as technology allows transportation officials to work more creatively with community interests and regulations.
• There is real potential for cost savings, as there will be new opportunities to improve asset management and achieve longer life cycles, freeing up demand for capital goods and also reducing costs.
• Transport agencies will be required to have new skills and training.
• Printing parts will reduce the need for large inventories for fleets and equipment and improve the ability to quickly repair and/or replace equipment. Even obsolete parts can be printed without the need for special orders.
• • 3D printing involves new copyright and patent laws, as well as new contracts and procurement proposals.
• • Financing large intermodal and highway investments will become more difficult to finance, as the need and revenue for investment is likely to decrease.

Conclusion

3D printing is likely to be a game-changer for transportation and the agencies that support it. We are on the cusp of the global implementation of 3D printing. Technology will affect all aspects of transportation, whether it’s planning and management, maintenance and operations, capital development and finance, human resources, and legal. Transportation systems will have changed. Understanding technology and its impact on our transportation now is critical to making short-term and future business and capital decisions. 3D printing can produce creativity and options and save money. It can also wreak havoc on those who are not prepared. It’s our choice.