Case Study
Great Western Railway

Customer Profile
Great Western Railway (GWR) is a UK-based rail operator. With a focus on continual innovation, GWR is recycling older Class 230 rail cars to transition them to electrification and updating their interiors to current standards.

Challenge
Part of the modernization project includes refurbishing the train’s interior. However, replacement parts are no longer available for these older rail cars. Manufacturing a small quantity of these parts with conventional fabrication like injection molding is not economically viable due to the tooling and labor expenses.

Solution
The train’s driver-side video display bezel was one specific part that needed replacement for this refurbishment project. As a solution, GWR engineers chose to 3D print the part on a Fortus 450mc™ printer using Kimya PC-FR, a polycarbonate material with fire-retardant properties. PC-FR meets regulatory safety standard EN 45545-2, which is required for materials used in passenger rail cars, making it an optimal choice for this application.