Additive manufacturing: transforming railway maintenance

Launched in 2022, this project aimed to accelerate the industrialisation of additive manufacturing technologies in order to optimise train maintenance and reduce its costs through the production of components on a piece-by-piece or small-batch basis.

Additive manufacturing: a promising process for the rail sector

The industrial equivalent of 3D printing, additive manufacturing combines digital design with the rapid production of mechanical parts through the successive addition of layers of material.

This process offers numerous advantages. Lead times for prototyping, tooling and procurement are significantly reduced, thereby paving the way for improved train availability for service. It is also possible to reduce spare parts stock, and thus the costs associated with them (train maintenance involves 150,000 different parts, many of which are produced in small batches).

Additive manufacturing makes it possible to produce certain parts that are no longer manufactured throughout the trains’ operational lifespan, which can be as long as forty years.

Beyond simple remanufacturing, additive manufacturing opens up new possibilities for improving components, customising them and making them more reliable, lighter or quieter than the originals.

From design to full-scale demonstrator

Within the consortium, research teams from Centrale Nantes have contributed their expertise in the design of parts suited to large-scale metal additive manufacturing. Using the digital model and the mechanical constraints defined by the SNCF, they developed a new concept for a bogie side member (a structural component that connects the axles and supports part of the train) by exploiting the possibilities offered by the WAAM (Wire Arc Additive Manufacturing) process, a metal 3D printing technology using wire deposition.

This design work culminated in the production of a full-scale demonstrator: a 3.2-metre-long component manufactured by depositing nearly 400 kg of metal. This achievement demonstrates the feasibility of producing large-scale metal components for railway applications using additive manufacturing. It represents a significant step towards the industrialisation of this technology for train maintenance.

A breakthrough for the railway industry

Beyond this first, the project confirms the potential of additive manufacturing to transform railway maintenance. By enabling certain parts to be produced or repaired on demand, this technology opens up new possibilities for optimising train maintenance, reducing lead times and supporting more sustainable maintenance.

This breakthrough also illustrates the role of Centrale Nantes in developing innovative solutions for industry, by combining academic research, scientific expertise and technology transfer into practical applications.

Additive4Rail is a project arising from the CORIFER 2021 AMI (Call for Expressions of Interest) managed by BPI France, supported by the French government as part of the France 2030 initiative.