DB Fahrzeuginstandhaltung GmbH c/o Deutsche Bahn AG

he DB Group is one of the world’s leading mobility and logistics companies. The DB employs some 331,600 people around the globe, including roughly 205,000 in Germany. We design and operate the transport networks of the future. Through the integrated operation of traffic and railway infrastructure as well as the economically and ecologically intelligent connection of all modes of transport, we move people and goods.

DB can use 3D printing to create spare parts in short time that otherwise have long delivery periods or might not even be available at all. And that means that trains can go back into circulation more quickly, which reduces idle time. All 3D-printed components undergo extensive testing, such as fatigue resistance tests, before they are used. Additive manufacturing – creating components layer by layer – makes it possible to optimize areas on spare parts that are especially prone to faults. This minimizes wear from the start and increases train availability. The first printed components were made exclusively of plastic, usually polyamide, but now metal components can be produced using powder methods.