Evobus – Additive Manufacturing Is a Core Element of Sustainable Spare Parts Management

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EvoBus – Additive Manufacturing is a Core Element of Sustainable Spare Parts Management

Source: Daimler Buses, EOS Starting Point Growing competitive pressure demands increased profitability and innovative strength

Project Comprehensive consulting to help efficiently enter the world of additive manufacturing and establish a sustainable spare parts management system

Outlook Fast: significantly reduced production and lead times Profitable: lower logistics and warehousing costs Economical: avoid overproduction and tooling costs Flexibility in production: Thanks to 3D printing, spare Innovative: optimize components and digitization of the value chain parts, e.g. for the interior of buses, can be produced quickly and cost-efficiently. Establishing a Sustainable Spare Parts Management System with field of Customer Services & Parts “The close cooperation between Daimler Buses (CSP) would be far more difficult Additive Manufacturing for EvoBus GmbH. By contrast, and Additive Minds enables us to fully exploit the company sees a great deal of the potential offered by additive manufacturing potential in the production flexibility offered by additive manufacturing: EvoBus GmbH, a subsidiary of the Daimler Group, is one of the leading in the CSP field by defining key steps to defend “By implementing 3D printing within manufacturers in the global omnibus segment. In order to continue Short Profile our CSP business model, we hope to our pioneering position on the bus market and expanding its pioneering role in times of increasing competitive EvoBus GmbH is the largest reduce the rising warehousing and expand this position in the long term.” pressure, EvoBus is pursuing two strategic aims: sustainably increase European subsidiary of tool costs caused by our growing its profitability and enhance its capacity to innovate. In particular, Daimler AG. With brands such inventory of omnibus spare parts, EvoBus needs to find an answer to the growing challenges in the as Mercedes-Benz, Setra, while also continuing to improve Ralf Anderhofstadt, field of Customer Services & Parts (CSP). Daimler Buses sees additive OMNIplus and BusStore, it is supply performance to our end Project Manager CSP 3D-Druck manufacturing as a key tool in reaching these targets. In order to the leading full-line provider customers,” says Ralf Anderhofstadt, successfully integrate industrial 3D printing within its organization, on the omnibus market, both Project Manager CSP 3D-Druck. Daimler Buses decided to rely on the expertise of Additive Minds, the in Europe and worldwide. As reverse engineering and analyzed The next objective of the project is consulting division of EOS, right from the early project phase. The part of the Daimler Buses Project potential service providers for this to start making additively manu- purpose. These efforts led to a sepa factured components directly at the team of experts at EOS specializes in leading customers through the division, EvoBus GmbH is Europe’s largest omnibus To implement additive manufactur- rate subproject: how can additive end customer. Although a centralized various development phases of additive manufacturing. manufacturer and one of the ing into their CSP business model, manufacturing be used to create the production scenario at the Daimler leaders worldwide. EvoBus chose to rely on the exper- surfaces of interior parts, which are plant is envisaged for the time being, tise of Additive Minds, the largest typically structured? The sustained plans to position the printer directly Starting Point Further information: team of AM experts in the world. close cooperation between Additive at BusWorld Homes and outside www.evobus.com Additive Minds provided support at Minds and the CSP 3D-Druck project organizations are being considered For years, the Customer Services & ually growing. Minimum purchase various levels: by hosting workshops enabled Daimler Buses to find for the medium term. Parts (CSP) unit of EvoBus GmbH has volumes frequently lead to overpro- and off-site support events, Additive solutions to all the questions that been confronted with rising costs for duction. In many cases, the company Minds examined the customer’s cropped up over the course of the Outlook warehousing and logistics, as well is forced to purchase 15, 20, or even entire supply chain and determined project. The material selection pro- as long lead times. These challeng- 100 parts, even though only one is how EvoBus could exploit the cess was just as successful: the team Industrial 3D printing has already es are driven by the company’s required. This dependency on innu- potential of industrial 3D printing determined that the polymer PA2200 solved many of the current CSP increasingly broad portfolio, coupled merable suppliers causes a great deal to the fullest. In close collaboration could be used for a certain number challenges faced by EvoBus. In the with its promise to customers to of uncertainty: with repeat orders, with the customer, Additive Minds of components with specific flame long term, it also has the potential to supply spare parts for buses over a there is the risk that the supplier no prepared an economic feasibility protection requirements. However, increase the company’s profitability Quality: Additively manufactured period of more than 15 years, even longer has access to the necessary assessment of the project within for the majority of applications, the and innovative strength, as well as after series production has been blueprints and tools, or that financial spare parts meet the high standards just a few months. Throughout this team concluded that a new type of safeguarding its pioneering role. discontinued. EvoBus currently modifications may be required. of look and feel demanded by pre period, the Additive Minds experts material would need to be qualified As the project continues, EvoBus’s manages over 320,000 active spare With conventional production mium brands like Daimler Buses for leveraged the extensive experience to meet the strict flame protec- additive manufacturing portfolio will parts, many of which are kept on processes, finding an answer to any visible parts in bus interiors. gained from over 250 projects across tion regulations of the automotive be expanded to include additional stock – and this number is contin- the growing challenges in the (Source: Daimler Buses, EOS) various industries worldwide. manufacturing sector. EOS and the spare parts made from polymers and EvoBus CSP 3D-Druck project have metals. Another phase of the project One of the early workshops focused already begun working together on a will also fully digitize any remaining on a systematic approach to se- joint solution. analog components to improve the lecting the components suitable for overall efficiency of the spare parts additive manufacturing. By applying A pilot project to manufacture the division of the business. a “part screening and selection” first batch of components was methodology developed by Additive successfully realized at EOS in End customers also benefit: thanks Minds and used in more than 50 June 2017. This was an important to the shorter lead times, the un- customer projects across numerous milestone - reached earlier than productive downtime of their buses industries, EvoBus identified a total expected: “Our collaboration with is reduced to the bare minimum. of 2,600 such parts. Of these, 35 Additive Minds on the CSP 3D-Druck Moreover, additive manufacturing metal and polymer components project considerably accelerated allows the complexity and func- were selected for an initial imple- our work right up to the technical tional integrity of the produced mentation phase. Since no digital and economic proof-of-concept parts to be optimized, empowering blueprints existed for many of these stage, enabling us to focus on and EvoBus GmbH to respond even more spare parts, Additive Minds and tackle a broad range of topics,” says effectively to specialized customer EvoBus jointly examined the avail Anderhofstadt. requirements in future. able options for digitization through Headquarters

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Status 03/2019. Technical data subject to change without notice. EOS is certified according to ISO 9001. EOS® and Additive Minds® are registered trademarks of EOS GmbH in some countries. For more information visit www.eos.info/trademarks.