France: The additive manufacturing centre for rolling stock parts has been set up at Faiveley Transport, a Wabtec subsidiary and component manufacturer, in Saint-Pierre-de-Core, France.
The equipment for the centre has been purchased from Nikon SLM Solutions. According to L’Usine Nouvelle, investment in the project exceeded €2 mln.
The centre provides facilities for the entire technological chain, from the printing of metal parts to quality control and processing. With this technology, it takes 70% less time to produce components some of which weigh 50–75% less. The centre can produce basic Wabtec spare parts and also new products for pantographs and brake, door, and HVAC systems.
Wabtec now owns several 3D printing centres in the US and one in Bangalore, India. The company plans to increase its additive manufacturing of parts to 25,000 pieces by 2025.
