We all know that one of the key factors for implementing Additive Manufacturing in traditional industries, such as the railway sector, we need to work together on approvals and standards for 3D printed parts.

Three years ago, our Approval in Rail Working Group achieved a major breakthrough: through rigorous testing and computational verification, the first safety-relevant component was approved for the use in a commercial train.

At the end of November, we now kicked off the next project for the Working Group and its partners: DigiZug3D.

Supported by the EU and the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action in in the economic stimulus programme “Digitalisation of vehicle manufacturers and supplier industry”, the Working Group and its partners are planning to map and digitalise the approval process in the rail sector. To keep the process as cost-effective as possible, the members of the funding project are focusing for example on reducing the scope of testing by enabling an analytical strength assessment that will be transferred to guidelines and standardisation.

The project is centred around the L-PBF-technology and plans to derive the parameters necessary for mathematical strength verification for parts made of 316L, ultimately including the results in the FKM-guideline.

Why do this? We need an as generic as possible approval path in the rail industry!

But the group also plans to look at the bigger picture to find general ways to approve printed parts across all sectors: they are interested in exchange with other industries to share results as well as jointly define the requirements for digital approval paths. At the end of the project, they aim to launch a digital platform, acting as a database, guiding and communication tool along the approval chain.

We are looking forward to three years of working together with SIEMENS Mobility, Additive Marking, TÜV Nord, IMA Dresden, PIAF (Paderborner Institut für Additive Fertigung), DB, ÖBB, Photon, Nikon SLM, Hamburger Hochbahn!