Hitachi Rail chooses Roboze printers, materials including carbon fiber/PEEK for railway spare parts | CompositesWorld

Oct 20, 2024

The Roboze ARGO 500 will be used at Hitachi Rail factories in Naples, Italy and Maryland, U.S. to reduce cost and delivery times for prototypes and spare parts.

Source | Roboze, Hitachi Rail

Roboze (Bari, Italy) a supplier of high-performance 3D printers, materials and technology for additive manufacturing, announces its collaboration with Hitachi Rail (London, U.K.). Hitachi Rail has chosen the Roboze ARGO 500 solution to operate in its high-tech factory in Naples, in Italy, and its new digital, state-of-the-art rail factory in Washington County, Maryland. The solution enables Hitachi Rail to implement industrial 3D printing technology, using materials such as ULTEM 9085 and Roboze’s Carbon PEEK for the production of spare parts for its trains.

The railway industry constantly faces the challenge of availability and costs associated with the production of spare parts. Roboze's additive manufacturing technology reportedly offers a solution, enabling faster and more cost-effective production compared to traditional machining methods. With the implementation of the ARGO 500 3D printing system, Roboze explains that Hitachi Rail can now replace traditionally machined metal parts, significantly reducing costs and delivery times.

The collaboration between Hitachi Rail and Roboze extends beyond the mere supply of machines. Hitachi Rail will also benefit from the engineering services and consulting provided by Roboze's expert teams, both in the United States and Italy, ensuring continuous and highly specialized support.

Hitachi Rail will soon open its state-of-the-art rail car factory in Washington County, Maryland in the U.S. The $70 million facility — which is set to deliver the new fleet of 8000-series railcars for the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority as its first order — will draw on the wider Hitachi Group’s technological expertise to be its most advanced digital site. By partnering with Roboze, Hitachi Rail will be able to harness advanced 3D printing solutions to produce prototypes and railway spare parts.

"Our partnership with Roboze underlines our commitment to delivering advanced, high-quality manufacturing for our customers,” says Luca D’Aquila, COO Hitachi Rail Group and CEO Hitachi Rail Italy. “The partnership will enable us to harness 3D printing to improve operational efficiency and reduce costs for producing prototypes and railway spare parts. "This additive solution will be used at our Naples site in Italy and our new digital factory in Washington County, Maryland, allowing us to respond effectively to our customers' needs."

Roboze explains that Hitachi Rail's choice to adopt its technology highlights the growing importance of additive manufacturing in the railway sector. This technology not only enhances production efficiency but also represents a significant step towards greater sustainability and innovation in the transportation industry.

“Roboze continues to prove itself as a reliable and innovative partner for companies aiming to rethink their production and push the boundaries of progress through technology," says Alessio Lorusso, founder & CEO of Roboze. This collaboration with Hitachi Rail marks another important milestone in Roboze's mission to transform industrial manufacturing globally.

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