Introduction

Österreichische Bundesbahnen (ÖBB), Austria’s largest railway company, transports over 494 million passengers and 78 million tons of freight annually. To maintain this vast fleet, ÖBB relies on a large inventory of spare parts, many of which are no longer in stock or production. Additive manufacturing (AM) helped address part availability and obsolescence, but manual processes for manufacturability analysis, technology selection, costing, and make-or-buy decisions were inefficient. To overcome these challenges, ÖBB implemented 3D Spark’s AI-powered platform, automating key spare parts management processes and significantly boosting efficiency.

‍

The Challenge

ÖBB faced few challenges in managing their spare parts inventory:

• Manual Processes & Tool Overload: Managing manufacturability analysis, technology selection, costing, and quoting required over two people and five separate software tools (e.g., CAD, slicers, Excel), increasing error risks with each tool handover.
• Multiple RFQs with Low Order Rates: Frequent RFQs delayed make-or-buy decisions and often served as consultations without leading to purchases, straining supplier relationships.
• Inability to Analyze Large Data Sets: With over 100,000 spare parts in ERP and PLM systems, manually identifying cost, lead time, and CO2 savings was practically impossible.

‍

The Solution: Implementing 3D Spark

3D Spark’s AI-powered platform offered the following solutions:

• Automation & Tool Consolidation: 3D Spark automated manufacturability analysis, technology selection, and costing, allowing team members to perform these tasks independently, reducing reliance on expert colleagues, multiple tools and minimizing errors.
• Instant Pricing & RFQ forwarding: The supplier panel within 3D Spark provides immediate price indications from qualified suppliers and 1-click RFQ forwarding for real purchasing interest, streamlining make-or-buy decisions and reducing the need for RFQs with low order likelihood.
• Automated Analysis of 100,000+ Parts: 3D Spark enables regular automated screenings of ÖBB’s spare parts inventory, identifying opportunities for cost, lead time, and CO2 savings, considering an ever changing cost structure of manufacturing technologies and material prices.

‍

Added Value of 3D Spark for ÖBB

• Costing Accuracy as the Foundation: The highly accurate costing of 3D Spark, with estimates consistently within 2-3% of actual costs, became the backbone of ÖBB’s decision-making process. This accuracy built trust within the team, enabling reliable auto-quoting and well-informed make-or-buy decisions.
• Auto-Quoting for AM: With validated costing accuracy, ÖBB could model its AM reality through a “Digital Factory Twin” in 3D Spark. This allowed for quotes to be generated in under 3 minutes, providing efficiency without sacrificing accuracy.
• Uncovering Cost & Sustainability Savings: By enabling the analysis of the complete spare parts portfolio, 3D Spark helps ÖBB identify opportunities for cost, lead time, and CO2 reductions, supporting ÖBB’s sustainability goals.
• Reduced Supplier Dependence: Automating price indications leads to a 75% reduction in consultative RFQs, while increasing order rates by 400%. This not only improved efficiency for both sides, but also improved supplier relationships.

‍

Results

By implementing 3D Spark, ÖBB achieved substantial improvements:

• 10x Increase in Quoting Efficiency: Automated processes allowed for 90% time savings, enabling ÖBB to generate 10 times more quotes in the same period.
• 95%+ Costing Accuracy: Accurate costing served as the foundation for auto-quoting and strategic decision-making, ensuring that ÖBB consistently achieved cost estimates within 2-3% of actual costs.
• 20% Lower Procurement Effort: Data-driven optimizations reduced procurement efforts, cutting down on RFQs and improving supplier relations.

‍

Testimonials:

‍

"The manufacturing costing estimates from 3D Spark were highly accurate, within 2-3% of our in-house calculations. This accuracy built trust and saved 90% of manual time, enabling us to make confident decisions," said Markus.

‍

"3D Spark allows us to accurately calculate part costs and analyze our 100,000+ spare parts portfolio for cost and lead time savings. It’s essential for managing our complex inventory efficiently and supports our mission for sustainable, low-cost mobility solutions," said Patrick.

‍

Conclusion

3D Spark’s AI-powered platform played a pivotal role in ÖBB’s spare parts management transformation. By automating key processes, improving operational efficiency by 80%, 3D Spark helped ÖBB set a new standard in railway maintenance.

‍