Customer Success Story – Deutsche Bahn

Successful integration of MoldJet pins in Deutsche Bahn's first-class cars for ICE 3neo high-speed trains, meeting functional and aesthetic requirements.

1. Batch size and lead-time: thousands of pieces in 4 week's time for delivery
2. Toolless production: create threaded pins without additional machining (M4 threads along two 14 mm pins)
3. Polishable material that enables outstanding final surface finish of Ra<1μm
4. Dimensions 25mm x 16.5mm x 15.5mm

For a solution, several technologies were assessed, including milling, investment casting and
additive processes like laser powder bed fusion (LPBF).

MoldJet was found to be the most suitable for the following reasons:

• Quality of machined features significantly improved.
• Supports 8,000-piece batch size
• A short lead time – for 1,000 pcs 1 print job in just 17 hours
• Process can accomplish the detail level and accuracy required for “as-printed” functional threaded pins
• Highly dense green material leads to dense and polishable sintered surface
• With the need to manufacture pins efficiently, simultaneous production provided a streamlined solution without compromising quality or incurring delays.

High manufacturing efficiency

• Thousands of pieces manufactured in one single print job
• Functional threads (M4) without post processing
• Surface treatment: vibratory grinding and sand blasting on the sintered pin
• Achieved Ra < 1 μm

Deutsche Bahn implemented MoldJet technology through the services MIMplus, successfully installing compliant pins in their first-class ICE 3neo cars, meeting functional and aesthetic standards.