Case Study: Angel Trains achieves 50% weight and cost savings with Hexagon Digimat for FDM spare parts validation

Structural performance validation & cost optimization of FDM printed replacement parts

Angel Trains, a rail industry company, faced a challenge with the structural validation of 3D-printed spare parts. Traditional simulation methods for parts made with Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM) technology led to overly conservative and heavy designs because they could not accurately account for the material's anisotropic properties. This limitation hindered the potential cost and lead-time benefits of additive manufacturing.

Hexagon addressed this with its Digimat software, which uses an Integrated Computational Materials Engineering (ICME) approach to accurately simulate the local microstructure and behavior of the 3D-printed parts. This solution allowed for a more precise validation of the parts' structural performance. The result was a 50% reduction in both weight and production costs for a sample armrest part, while confidently ensuring it met all required structural safety standards.

Angel Trains

James Brown

Data and Performance Engineer