Wabtec Opening Additive Manufacturing Facility in 2021

It will produce “state-of-the-art, large-scale, lightweight parts for transit rail customers and reduce lead times by up to 80%,” Wabtec said. “Production will include metal aluminum transit components like brake parts and heat sinks for freight locomotives.” The company plans to use additive manufacturing in the production of more than 25,000 parts by 2025.

Wabtec is leasing more than 11,000 square feet of space in Neighborhood 91’s first building, which is under construction on the 195-acre airport campus. Neighborhood 91, developed in conjunction with the University of Pittsburgh, is a new hub connecting all components of the additive manufacturing and 3D-printing supply chain.

“Additive technology is a key focus area for us that provides new capabilities to drive innovation where traditional manufacturing could not,” Wabtec Chief Technology Officer Eric Gebhardt said. “This agreement continues our investment in resources that enable our engineers to design new and complex products for the industries we serve.”

Wabtec also has 3D-printing labs in Erie and Grove City in western Pennsylvania.

In other news, Penn State and Wabtec Corp. have formed strategic partnership for energy management, battery technology and machine learning research, and for professional and talent development.

The post Wabtec Opening Additive Manufacturing Facility in 2021 appeared first on Railway Age.

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