China3D printingNet, June 29, French rolling stock manufacturer Alstom uses Stratasys’ FDM 3D printing technology to simplify the production of spare parts in the transportation department.
One of the company’s most recent projects involved the production of a set of emergency spare parts for Sétif Tramways in Algeria. Using the Stratasys F370 3D printer, Alstom was able to significantly shorten delivery time and save Sétif Tramways thousands of dollars in manufacturing costs, reducing downtime on the city’s 14-mile transportation network.
Alstom Additive Manufacturing Project Manager Aurélien Fussel said: “The agility that 3D printing provides us is essential to Alstom’s strategic business. With our customers relying on spare parts to maintain operations, having this internal Production capacity means that we can bypass our traditional supply chain and respond quickly and cost-effectively by addressing their needs.”
The Sétif tram in Algeria includes 26 stations and spans nearly 14 miles. The photo is from Alstom.
Streamlined from 45 days to 48 hours
Setif found that the tram headlights were internally damaged due to water and debris, so they asked Alstom for help. Specifically, the city’s trams require customized spare parts to plug the small holes in the tram’s headlight assembly to prevent further damage.
Alstom launched its dedicated 3D printed wheels, launched its F370 FDM system, and designed, 3D printed and delivered more than a dozen rubber drain plugs in just 48 hours. Using traditional manufacturing techniques, it usually takes about 45 days to produce a dozen of these parts.
In addition, the use of 3D printing in this case also reduced Sétif’s fixed manufacturing costs by approximately 80%, thereby saving approximately 6,000 Euros. This can be attributed to the lack of tools, reduced labor costs, and cost savings by avoiding the 45-day long delivery period.
“We avoided the minimum three-week production lead time normally required by traditional manufacturing methods and ensured that the operation of the tram network is minimized,” Fussel added. “For our transportation customers like Sétif, every minute of lead time in the network means lost revenue, so we can win back every minute when we solve maintenance problems, thereby reducing losses.”
3D printed rubber drain plug. The photo is from Alstom.
Importance of material selection
According to China3D printingNet understands that the success of this project is largely due to the extensive material capabilities of Stratasys 3D printing technology. For heavy industrial applications such as transportation, robust 3D printing materials with the characteristics required to handle high stresses and other extreme conditions are essential.
Altesa explained: “Having production-grade materials is essential to provide our customers with 3D printed parts that can be installed on vehicles at any time.”
For the Sétif Tramways project, Alstom used a very durable elastomer material called FDM TPU 92A. The filament has flexibility, abrasion resistance and tear resistance, making it an ideal choice for drain plugs.
For companies like Alstom, the ability to 3D print custom replacement parts without high costs or long lead times is a game changer. Just last month, the automobile company Daimler AG and its service brand Omniplus created a mobile 3D printing center dedicated to the decentralized production of spare parts. The mobile container will be put into use at the BusWorld Home (BWH) service center in Hamburg and can be transported to any location by truck.
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