Case Study: Astra Rail Industries achieves 30% faster development and 10–20% lighter, 1–2 ton higher-capacity rail cars with SolidWorks

Astra Rail Industries Optimizing Rail Cars With Solidworks Design and Simulation Solutions

Astra Rail Industries, a leading manufacturer of tank rail cars, freight wagons, and bogies headquartered in Arad, Romania, needed to accelerate development, reduce costs, improve quality, and increase payload capacity across its product lines. To meet these challenges the company evaluated 3D solutions and adopted SolidWorks tools, including SOLIDWORKS 3D design, SOLIDWORKS Simulation Premium FEA, and SOLIDWORKS PDM Professional for integrated design, analysis, and data management.

Using SolidWorks’ integrated design and simulation suite, Astra Rail reworked processes into modular 3D workflows, leveraged dynamic motion and collision detection, and validated designs with FEA instead of repeated prototyping. The SolidWorks implementation cut development time by 30–35%, reduced prototyping and testing cycles by 30–40%, decreased product weight by 10–20%, and increased payload capacity by one to two tons, while improving data compatibility and reducing design errors.

Astra Rail Industries

Cornel Raicov

Managing Director