Sstratasys ltd. to help keep trains running and save thousands a day with solution for digital inventory and 3d printed parts

At a press conference at the formnext 2019 trade fair, stratasys announced its rail industry solution to help passenger trains -- from long-haul to urban metros -- run on time more frequently and potentially save thousands of euros a day. by using its ultem(tm) 9085 resin and antero 800na material with stratasys fortus 3d printers for production, rail operators will be best positioned to leverage additive manufacturing for the production of spare parts on demand that meet strict government certification requirements for smoke, fire, and toxicity. both materials have passed the european union's rail standard, en45545-2. the stratasys ecosystem of customers and partners benefiting from the rail industry solution currently includes angel trains, bombardier transportation, chiltern railways, db esg, and siemens mobility. stratasys' additive manufacturing consultancy, blueprint, has estimated that for one major u.s. commuter rail service, every day a train set is out of service costs eur 18,000, and often a single part that would ordinarily cost less than eur 100 is all that keeps the train from running. compounding the challenge, the service life of trains is typically 35- 45 years making sourcing spare parts a challenge. by turning to additive manufacturing, train operators can get the parts they need within a day or two regardless of the uniqueness of the part or the age of the train car, minimizing time spent in a maintenance yard and dramatically reducing costs. stratasys rail-qualified materials include ultem 9085 resin, a flame-retardant, high-performance thermoplastic that has passed european standard en45545-2 for all three hazard levels – hl1, hl2 and hl3. it features a high strength-to-weight ratio, excellent heat resistance, and high-impact strength. also included is antero 800na, a pekk-based thermoplastic possessing mechanical properties such as high strength, high heat resistance, toughness and wear resistance. the material is compliant with en45545-2, permitting it to be used to produce a wide range of components. both work with stratasys fortus 3d printers built specifically for manufacturing and heavy industries, with large build sizes, high part accuracy and repeatability, and compatible with the new grabcad shop software, which streamlines work order management for centralized 3d printing shops.
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