Rail Giant Alstom Turns to Nexa3D’s NXE 400Pro to 3D Print Replacement Footrests

IMTS

Share this Article

Trains are vital to transportation all over the world, but as they get older, it becomes increasingly difficult to keep them in service. Finding replacement parts is often a key factor, and this usually boils down to the components being discontinued for various reasons. Without a way to install high-quality replacement parts railways risk delaying the transportation of people and goods, and ultimately their bottom line.

Alstom, one of the largest railway companies in the world, faced this first hand when outdated footrests threatened to sideline many of its fleets. The company needed a way to fix its trains quickly, and do so in a cost effective manner. Alstom’s solution? 3D printing. The business sought Lorenzo Gasparoni, its 3D printing and 3D scanning product leader in Italy, to establish additive manufacturing (AM) practices to help keep its aging trains operational while reducing the time needed to service the carriages. 

Alstom AGV Train

An Alstom AGV Train. (Source: Nexa3D)

Alstom is no stranger to 3D printing and had previously partnered with BASF Replique and Stratasys to use AM to solve sourcing issues in the past. This time, however, it wanted to stay internal to its manufacturing and service center in Sesto San Giovanni, Italy, and needed Lorenzo Gasparoni for the job. The two have been in working together since 2019, but, in mid-2022, a new project arose: the use of 3D printing to produce hundreds of footrests to replace older counterparts. 

Lorenzo got to work and iterated through many materials and printing methods to narrow down the best option for this task. While his team did explore selective laser sintering, the company ultimately landed on vat photopolymerization and even examined materials from Carbon, EnvisionTEC, and 3D Systems. In the end, Alstom chose Nexa3D and the NXE 400Pro because of its open platform, large build volumes, fast printing speeds, and monocomponent resins. 

Alstom 3D Printing Parts

An Alstom employee designing the 3D printed footrests. (Source: Nexa3D)

“The minimum order quantity for injection molding is over 500 parts, and at that volume the cost is about €200 per part. With the NXE 400Pro there is no minimum, and the cost is €50 per part so it’s much more affordable,” said Gasparoni, 3D printing and 3D scanning product leader at Alstom.

With the NXE 400Pro, Lorenzo saves €150 per part and can produce 30 footrests in 10 hours with Henkel Loctite’s xABS3843 resin. The resin is comparable to the original footrest material— Lexan—  and the new 3D printed footrests require no post-processing before installation. So far, 100 replacement footrests have been installed into Alstom’s rail cars, and, with this new system, more can be printed on demand as needed. 

NXE 400Pro 3D printed in xABS3843 Resin

A 3D printed footrest installed on an Alstom train. (Source Nexa3D)

Alstom highlights what 3D printing can bring to the table for railway manufacturing, and continues the trend of railways partnering with companies like Siemens, DiManEx, and Wabtec to incorporate additive manufacturing into its production process. This trend is on pace to grow as 3D printing matures, and if Alstom can continue to produce excellent parts at low quantities and low prices, then it could become the most affordable way to maintain older trains. 

Share this Article


Recent News

Liquid Metal 3D Printing Sector Emerges with Fluent Metal’s $5.5M Investment

3DPOD Episode 191: Amy Alexander, 3D Printing at the Mayo Clinic



Categories

3D Design

3D Printed Art

3D Printed Food

3D Printed Guns


You May Also Like

3DPOD Episode 190: Generative Design for 3D Printing with Novineer CEO Ali Tamijani

Ali Tamijani, a professor in the Department of Aerospace Engineering at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, has an extensive background in composites, tool pathing, and the development of functional 3D printed parts,...

Featured

3DPOD Episode 189: AMUG President Shannon VanDeren

Shannon VanDeren is a consultant in the 3D printing industry, focusing on implementation and integration for her company, Layered Manufacturing and Consulting. For nearly ten years, she has been involved...

3DPOD Episode 188: Clare Difazio of E3D – Growing the Industry, and Growing With the Industry

Clare DiFazio’s journey into the 3D printing industry was serendipitous, yet her involvement at critical moments has significantly influenced the sector. Her position as Head of Marketing & Product Strategy...

Featured

Printing Money Episode 15: 3D Printing Markets & Deals, with AM Research and AMPOWER

Printing Money returns with Episode 15! This month, NewCap Partners‘ Danny Piper is joined by Scott Dunham, Executive Vice President of Research at Additive Manufacturing (AM) Research, and Matthias Schmidt-Lehr,...