The project with Zaragoza Tram encompassed the design and manufacture of the part for the CAF Urbos vehicle, which has since re-entered service. The component was produced as a mono-bloc part, a process in which the component is printed only once and can potentially produce parts of up to 5m³ in size.
The Spanish company worked on the project in partnership with fellow CAF subsidiary, CAF Digital and Design Solutions, and secured approval for manufacturing components with advanced polymers after satisfying the highest railway industry standards for fire and smoke.
RL Components says the ability to produce parts with different dimensions and complex geometrics will break the dependency on moulds and original patterns for component production. It will also offer a competitive alternative in the supply of spare parts.
In addition, RL Components says it is able to develop reverse engineering for spare parts using 3D scanning and manufacturing with additive technology. The company says this will provide the market with flexible solutions to solve obsolescence issues. The process also eliminates the use of traditional composites, avoiding the need for resins and other derivatives in component manufacturing, offering more environmentally-friendly solutions and improved recyclability.
