Siemens Mobility leverages the Stratasys F900® and Fortus FDC™ to improve machine utilization, enhance part quality, and accelerate delivery of large-format rolling stock components.
Siemens Mobility, a Siemens AG subsidiary headquartered in Munich, specializes in rail transportation, spanning rolling stock, electrification, mobility management, and customer services. Its portfolio includes metro, tram, light rail, commuter, intercity, and high-speed trains, along with locomotives and automated people movers.
Recognizing additive manufacturing’s potential in 2014, the company has since integrated 3D printing across its portfolio. Through its Easy Sparovation Part® offering, Siemens Mobility delivers optimized spare parts with enhanced functionality and fewer components.
By collaborating with rail operators and applying proven design principles, the team rapidly produces complex geometries, from low-volume replacements to series runs of several thousand parts.
Siemens experts improve spare parts and deliver them upon customer request – enhanced and equipped with new functions. Combining their engineering know-how and additive manufacturing expertise allows for high flexibility and short lead times. Meeting this for large exterior rolling stock components, created demands for Siemens Mobility’s additive operations.
Large-format printing on the F900® 3D printer required long build times, but standard material canisters could not sustain extended runs without interruption due to running out of filament. Material integrity was also critical, as parts had to meet strict fire, smoke, and toxicity standards. ULTEM™ 9085 resin was selected, but its tendency to absorb moisture could affect print quality, causing surface defects and structural inconsistencies.
Siemens Mobility integrated the Fortus FDC™ (filament dryer and delivery cabinet) into its F900® production setup to improve efficiency and consistency. The FDC holds significantly more filament than the standard on-board canister, extending runtime and reducing interruptions on long, large-format builds.
The Fortus FDC uses controlled heat and dry air circulation to reduce filament moisture content before it feeds into the printer. This continuous drying eliminates defects tied to moisture without requiring separate pre-drying steps or added operator effort.
Integrating the Fortus FDC™ into the Easy Sparovation Part® production workflow delivered improvements across the key metrics that matter to Siemens Mobility’s customers:
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