German railway firm Deutsche Bahn has licensed using Essentium’s Excessive Pace Extrusion (HSE) 3D printing platform and supplies for practice elements and instruments.

The HSE platform, which is getting used at a facility in Neumünster, has been examined with Essentium’s flame retardant 9085 and HTN-CF25 thermoplastics to make sure it complies with the AM Normal ISO/ASTM 52920:2023 and ISO 52920.

Having handed these exams, Deutsche Bahn believes the HSE platform will enable it to extend the supply of its fleet by changing elements and instruments rapidly and effectively. This may assist the corporate overcome provide chain points and uncooked supplies shortages for out of date elements.

Essentium’s HSE expertise can be utilized in tandem with a digital warehouse that boasts round 1,000 technical drawings of spare elements. Utilizing HSE, Deutsche Bahn will have the ability to create low-run elements on-demand quite than mass manufacturing a bigger quantity for it to be saved in huge portions inside a bodily warehouse. This could enable the corporate to extend its supply pace, whereas decreasing prices.

Learn extra: Deutsche Bahn’s Stefanie Brickwede on 3D printing within the rail trade

Owed to their capability to resist 180°C and meet trade requirements for reliability, repeatability and efficiency, Essentium’s high-temperature thermoplastics also needs to imply Deutsche Bahn continues to satisfy the required requirements.

“Lots of people nonetheless marvel if additive prepared for prime time. Deutsche Bahn, which is 3D printing tens of 1000’s of substitute elements for its trains, proves it’s,” commented Essentium CEO Blake Teipel, Ph.D. “We look ahead to advancing Deutsche Bahn’s AM capabilities to hurry repairs and maintain its belongings operational with minimal downtime. This partnership will pave the way in which for others within the rail and transport industries to observe.”

Deutsche Bahn is among the many main industrial gamers utilising 3D printing for end-use and spare elements. For the latter utility group, the corporate has been a champion of additive manufacturing’s suitability for someday. Essentium has seen its expertise used for this type of utility earlier than, with the one hundred and first AFR Marine Air Nationwide Guard leveraging HSE for substitute elements in December 2022.