Today, additive manufacturing is increasingly complementing traditional manufacturing technologies. More and more rail industry leaders are starting to use 3D components: Siemens Mobility, Deutsche Bahn, ÖBB, and Alstom, which has already saved more than €15 mln and decreased procurement efforts by 86%.
All these companies cooperate with 3D Spark, and here is an interview with its CEO, Ruben Meuth, about the status and prospects of additive manufacturing and what stands behind the printing of the next component.
In April, you signed a three-year contract with Alstom. Could you give us details of the deal?
This three-year extension secures Alstom’s long-term access to our Digital Warehouse and Digital Factory Twin solutions, facilitating efficient, on-demand spare parts manufacturing at scale. The system is utilised by over 200 users from Alstom operating more than 150 3D printers across multiple global hubs.
Ruben Meuth, founder and CEO of 3D Spark. Source: 3D Spark
Our software enables Alstom to swiftly identify the most cost-effective, rapid, and sustainable production options for low-volume components, including spare parts, obsolescent components, jigs, tools, prototypes, and new designs. With automated cost calculations, manufacturability checks, quoting, and RFQ submissions, the manufacturer can take make-or-buy decisions or conduct its sales, and procurement processes with more ease.
This approach aligns with Alstom’s commitment to producing spare parts only when needed, minimising long-term warehousing and waste, all this with lowered costs and CO2 emissions, reinforcing our shared dedication to sustainability.
How long have you been working with Alstom? What have you achieved during this time and what are your expectations for the future?
We have been collaborating with Alstom since 2018, initially in a scientific research capacity at Fraunhofer IAPT. After the spin-out of 3D Spark in 2021, Alstom became one of our early adopter customers. During this time, we transformed our scientific concepts into industrial-grade software and secured the necessary IT security approvals to handle sensitive data, enabling a full rollout via SSO within the corporation.
As a result, Alstom has reported over €15 million in validated cost savings and more than 2,600 months of lead time savings through its Digital Manufacturing initiative, supported by 3D Spark.
Looking ahead, we are expanding and fine-tuning our manufacturing technologies portfolio beyond additive manufacturing to include casting technologies, CNC milling, turning, and sheet metal processing. We are also enhancing our “Big Data Part Screening” capabilities, allowing enterprises to analyse large datasets from ERP and PLM systems, along with 2D documents and 3D CAD files, uncovering significant opportunities for cost, lead time, and CO2 savings.
To streamline procurement, we are fine-tuning our built-in “Supplier Panel”, which reduces typical RFQ response times from 48 hours to just seconds, as connected suppliers provide live price indications or quotes. This drastically speeds up and simplifies make-or-buy decisions.
What components does Alstom print with your software?
It’s important to clarify that our software is not used for printing itself. Instead, it plays a crucial role in the business process, starting from the initial design idea or part request/RFQ and continuing through to the make-or-buy decision. Our software streamlines the entire workflow, enabling users to generate quotes and initiate production efficiently.
Typical part types that Alstom prints using this process include spare parts, obsolescent components, jigs, tools, prototypes, and new designs. By integrating into Alstom’s processes, our solution helps identify the most cost-effective and sustainable production options, whether for additive manufacturing or traditional methods. This comprehensive approach ensures that Alstom can make informed decisions throughout the entire lifecycle of a part, from conception to production.
Could you give an example of how you managed to optimise one of the components used by Alstom in the production of trains?
One example is a complex plastic ring for an aging metro system, where the original mold was unavailable. Instead of resorting to costly, long lead time, and environmentally unfriendly mold production, we utilised additive manufacturing to 3D print the component. Now available in the “Digital Warehouse,” it can be ordered on demand via Alstom’s Spare Part shop, StationOne.
Interface of the 3D Spark environment (enlarge). Source: 3D Spark
Another example is a door stopper, the world’s first metal 3D-printed serial part for the Coradia iLint hydrogen train. Using 3D Spark, Alstom carefully assessed several different production technologies and materials based on manufacturability, cost, time, and CO2 emissions. The Metal-FFF technology with 316L stainless steel proved to be the best choice. The prototype was printed in-house, while serial production was outsourced to Replique, resulting in significant cost and lead time savings.
What is the nature of your collaboration with other rolling stock manufacturers? How do the requests from these partners differ from those received from Alstom?
Our collaboration with rolling stock manufacturers, including Siemens Mobility and Alstom, shares a common goal: achieving 100% system availability by producing spare parts on demand, close to the point of use. Both partners aim to comply with DB’s mandate that over 10% of new train parts must be 3D printable, enabling digital warehousing for long-term spare parts management.
To support these objectives, efficient processes are essential for selecting the best technologies, generating quotes, sending RFQs, receiving instant price indications from suppliers, and making informed make-or-buy decisions. Additionally, tracking key performance indicators related to costs, lead times, and CO2 savings is crucial for effective management reporting. 3D Spark automates these processes for both partners.
I believe that your services may also be in demand by railway operators. Which of them you are currently working with? Which parts are most often asked to be optimised for 3D printing?
We currently collaborate with major railway operators, including DB and ÖBB. The former has printed over 150,000 spare parts across more than 700 applications to enhance their own train maintenance. By 2030, they aim to stock around 10,000 components in their “Digital Warehouse”. Utilising 3D Spark, they have streamlined their costing and quoting processes for in-house printed spare parts, achieving over a 70% reduction in quoting time and improving costing accuracy to ±5%.
Similarly, ÖBB manages over 100,000 spare parts and automates their Part Screening analysis through our platform, identifying cost-saving opportunities by optimising production technologies and making smarter make-or-buy decisions.
As I understand it, the 3D Spark environment includes a large database of components, their market value, 3D printers, etc., which allows customers to perform extensive analysis. How did you build this dataset, what is it like today and how often do you update it?
The primary advantage of 3D Spark is its capability to model a digital twin of the customers unique production environment. This process involves configuring every machine, material parameters, and post-processing equipment to create a benchmarkable replica of each specific production process chain. This setup enables precise manufacturability assurance, cost, and CO2 calculations, empowering our customers to do auto-quoting and make data-driven make or buy decisions.
Today, our dataset is comprehensive and continually refined to incorporate technological advancements, and changing material prices. We prioritise regular updates to ensure users always have access to the most accurate and relevant information for their decision-making processes.
What new services are you planning to add to your environment in the future?
We are currently expanding and refining our manufacturing technologies beyond additive manufacturing, incorporating various casting methods, CNC milling and turning, and sheet metal processing. Additionally, we are enhancing our “Big Data Part Screening” capabilities, enabling enterprises to analyse extensive datasets from ERP and PLM systems, as well as 2D documents like specifications and drawings, and 3D CAD files.
A ZF employee working in the 3D Spark environment. Source: ZF
Our focus includes optimising advanced AI analysis of legacy 2D drawings to generate 3D CAD files, particularly valuable in industries like rail, aerospace, and oil and gas, where many components exist only in 2D. As we enhance these services, we pursue our vision of building the “Google Maps for manufacturing,” which will improve operational efficiency and decision-making for our clients.
Previously, 3D printing was only used for components that were not subject to mandatory certification for compliance with TSI requirements, etc. Could you provide an update on the current situation? Have there already been any certified components that can be 3D printed, and if so, what kind of components they are?
The railway sector has made significant strides in 3D printing, evolving from the use of this technology exclusively for non-safety-relevant components to the successful certification of safety-relevant parts. Notably, the first 3D-printed safety-relevant part approved in this sector was a brake suspension link for the Hamburger Hochbahn metro system, certified in 2019. DB has also certified components like the wheelset bearing cover, which was traditionally cast but is now produced using Wire Arc Additive Manufacturing.
While the qualification process for these critical parts typically takes around two years, the industry — led by key players such as DB, ÖBB, Alstom, Siemens Mobility, TÜV, and organisations like Mobility Goes Additive — is actively working to streamline and shorten this timeline. This collaborative effort not only enhances efficiency but also paves the way for a broader acceptance of additive manufacturing in producing certified components.
As a result, we can anticipate a growing number of certified 3D-printed parts in the rail sector, reflecting an exciting shift towards embracing innovative manufacturing solutions for critical applications.
Could you outline your views on the potential for scaling up 3D printing in the railway industry? In your opinion, what share of the component manufacturing market will be produced exclusively by 3D printing in the future?
The potential for scaling up 3D printing in the railway industry is significant. Through extensive screenings with 3D Spark, our customers have discovered that over 20% of parts are already printable today. This transition supports Digital Warehousing, enabling on-demand production rather than the traditional approach of physically warehousing billions of euros in stock, much of which is scrapped after 30-50 years.
Importantly, additive manufacturing complements traditional manufacturing technologies perfectly. It can be effectively used during the prototyping and ramp-up phases — for example, fitting the first five trains with 3D-printed components while final injection molds are produced. This allows manufacturers to test and optimise designs without the delays associated with traditional tooling. Once the molds are ready, the subsequent 200 trains can be fitted with these injection-molded components. Instead of physically stocking numerous spare parts, the digital models are stored in the Digital Warehouse, ready to be ordered and printed on demand and locally.
This approach not only enhances operational efficiency but also reduces waste and inventory costs, aligning with the growing focus on sustainability in the rail industry. As additive manufacturing costs continue to decline and its applications expand, we anticipate a bright future for 3D printing in its appropriate niches within the sector.
Interviewed by Ekaterina Savenkova and Alexey Stolchnev
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Bio
Ruben Meuth is a founder and CEO of 3D Spark, a provider of B2B manufacturing software that increases efficiency in the production, sales and procurement process of components.
Prior to launching 3D Spark in 2021, Ruben served as Head of Business Development at the Fraunhofer Institute for Additive Production Technologies and gained professional experience at companies like Olympus, Airbus, and Audi, focusing on engineering, ERP software rollout, and quality management.
