Additive Fertigungsstätte der Deutschen Bahn zertifiziert

Industry: TÜV NORD has successfully certified Deutsche Bahn's additive manufacturing facility in Neumünster as one of the world's first companies to comply with a new standard. The ISO/ASTM 52920:2023 standard “Requirements for sites for industrial additive manufacturing”, published on June 29, creates a new standard in quality assurance for industrial 3D printing production. The certification issued by TÜV NORD was based on E DIN EN ISO/ASTM 52920:2021-08, which has now been transferred to the new standard.

Additive manufacturing enables DB Fahrzeuginstandhaltung in Neumünster to react quickly and flexibly when it comes to supplying spare parts for the entire vehicle fleet. Parts with supply bottlenecks can be printed and installed in a short space of time. Arvid Eirich, Head of Additive Manufacturing at Deutsche Bahn, emphasizes: “We are now in a position to manufacture end components on-demand. This ensures vehicle availability and comfort for passengers and also makes economic and ecological sense.” In this context, it is important to ensure reliable and repeatable processes in production preparation, additive printing itself and component post-processing so that the additively manufactured components are available on time in the right quality and quantity.

Certification proves efficient production

In general, such certification is of interest to external 3D printing suppliers in many sectors, including the automotive, medical technology, pharmaceutical and aerospace industries, emphasizes Jens Groffmann, Project Manager for Additive Manufacturing at TÜV NORD: “Certification according to ISO /ASTM 52920:2023 is a decisive competitive advantage. Certified companies can use it to document the successful transition from the manual production of individual prototype parts to high-performance manufacturing on an industrial scale - worldwide.” They therefore meet the quality requirements for industrial series production and qualify for deliveries of additively manufactured components on an industrial series scale.

The TÜV NORD test program was developed on the basis of the draft standard E DIN EN ISO / ASTM 52920:2021-08 in order to be ready for use immediately upon publication of the standard. It fully covers all production steps within additive manufacturing and ensures that all requirements for continuous additive series production are met by qualified personnel and by clear, unambiguous processes and procedures. Other focal points are the professional handling of raw materials and quality assurance measures along the entire process chain. The processes for structured and clear communication with customers in the event of production deviations are also checked. The TÜV NORD testing program is designed to be cross-industry and fully covers all major additive manufacturing processes for both metals and plastics.

Further links:
Additive Manufacturing - Manufacturer | TÜV NORD (tuev-nord.de)

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