Mobility Goes Additive aka MGA has received approval for operational use of an additively manufactured, safety-relevant part in the railway sector. Called “brake suspension link”, the component of the brake unit of a metro is now leveraged at Hamburger Hochbahn AG.
As a reminder, MGA is network of over 80 companies, institutions and research institutes that aim to overcome the challenges of additive manufacturing together in mobility.
The project started two years ago, in February 2017. It was led by Siemens Mobility GmbH alongside other members including Deutsche Bahn AG, the Fraunhofer IAPT and IGCV facilities, Hamburger Hochbahn AG, Knorr-Bremse Systeme für Schienenfahrzeuge GmbH, Photon AG, SBB Cargo AG and TÜV SÜD Product Service GmbH.
In just under two years its goal to obtain a first-time approval for the operational use of an additively manufactured, highly stressed and safety-relevant component has been achieved. Following a jointly developed approval concept, the suitability of the 3D printed component for real-life has successfully been demonstrated. The necessary quality assurance procedures, extensive tests and corresponding documentations were finally assessed by TÜV Süd Rail GmbH and approved.
After operational approval by the Hamburg Technical Supervisory Authority in accordance with BOStrab, Hamburger Hochbahn AG commissioned the system in August 2019. The light rail vehicle design and operating regulations, short BOStrab, regulate the design and operation of trams and other urban railway vehicles in Germany. Based on this innovative precedent for the railway industry, a standard for future approvals shall be developed in order to increase the application possibilities of additively manufactured components / spare parts in the railway sector.
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