Optimization of Railway Component Design at Alstom
Technology Category
- Analytics & Modeling - Digital Twin / Simulation
Applicable Industries
- Equipment & Machinery
- Life Sciences
Applicable Functions
- Maintenance
- Product Research & Development
Use Cases
- Additive Manufacturing
- Manufacturing Process Simulation
Services
- System Integration
- Training
About The Customer
Alstom is a promoter of sustainable mobility, developing and marketing systems, equipment, and services for the railway sector. The company manages a wide range of solutions in the market, from high-speed trains to metros and tramways, as well as customized services such as maintenance and modernization, and infrastructure and signaling solutions. Alstom is present in over 60 countries and employs 31,000 people. The company is constantly striving for the best manufacturing and development processes to create the finest possible products. For this specific project, Alstom’s engineers were tasked with improving the design of an existing cast part used in their Metropolis units.
The Challenge
Alstom, a world leader in integrated railway systems, was faced with the challenge of optimizing an existing component design to be manufactured with casting or alternatively with additive manufacturing technologies. The component in question was a part used in Alstom's Metropolis units in the train bogies to support the anti-roll system. The initial design of the part was found to be much too strong for the workloads it was subjected to, and the safety factor was also a little too high. Alstom's engineers were tasked with improving the design of this existing cast part, with a specific focus on optimizing it for production with metal additive manufacturing. The challenge was to improve the overall design while optimizing material usage, and to explore new production options with additive manufacturing.
The Solution
Alstom adopted a simulation-driven design approach using solidThinking Inspire for topology optimization and solidThinking Evolve for shape refinements. The first step involved an analysis with solidThinking Inspire, which confirmed the results of an earlier finite element (FE) analysis conducted with Altair HyperWorks. To improve the design and optimize material usage, the design volume of the part was increased, followed by a topology optimization. After several iterations with Inspire, a customized solution was found, and the exterior shape was then refined with solidThinking Evolve. The final geometry was then again verified with a detailed FE analysis. Alstom also collaborated with local 3D printing companies to prepare and analyze the part for additive manufacturing. The use of solidThinking Inspire, solidThinking Evolve and Altair HyperWorks’ solutions allowed the engineers to complete the process and support structural tests.
Operational Impact
Quantitative Benefit
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