Tool-Free 3D Printing Validated on ICE 3neo Demonstrators

At the sharp end of Siemens Mobility’s ICE 3neo, which operates at speeds of up to 320 km/h, the nose section and front skirt are now carrying more than aerodynamic duties. They are the two demonstrator parts through which HÖRMANN Vehicle Engineering and its research partners validated a tool-free 3D-printing process for large, heavy-duty rail components.

The project replaces the molds and other dedicated tooling used in conventional composite production with a three-step chain. Large-format extrusion printing first builds complex shapes from plastic granules. A new 3D tape-laying process then places continuous fibers along areas that carry higher loads, before automated milling brings the part to its required dimensions and surface finish.

The material choice is as significant as the printer. Current rail outer skins are often made with thermoset composites using hand lay-up or vacuum infusion; those methods require expensive tooling, lengthy production and substantial manual work, while the cured materials are difficult to recycle. The new chain uses thermoplastics throughout, so HVE and its partners say the finished components are fully recyclable and can be adapted without a new tooling investment.

The practical target is not every train part at once. The consortium reports lower manufacturing costs and shorter production times for small and medium production runs, where tooling can weigh heavily on the economics. That could make component variants easier to produce while retaining recyclability by design. The project ran from September 2023 to June 2026, with Fraunhofer IWU, Fraunhofer IMWS and Lakowa joining HVE and Siemens Mobility across development and structural validation.

The result is still a demonstrator, not a production line. The two ICE 3neo parts are presented by the consortium as evidence that the hybrid process can meet the accuracy and performance demands of high-speed rail applications. HVE’s parallel work on metallic 3D printing also points to a remaining industrial hurdle: design rules for additively manufactured rail parts are not yet covered by the relevant German engineering guideline.