Train Part Manufacturing
Producing quality railway parts is a significant challenge that requires careful planning and expert execution. Railway stock involves a range of complex parts, from the rolling stock used in locomotives and railroad components to track infrastructure, signals, and stations. In order to ensure reliable and competitive production standards, it’s important to implement a complete solution based around the design, manufacture, and assembly of critical railway components.
Train part manufacturing can be costly, time-consuming, and incredibly risky when you don’t have expert help. From the initial design phase through to testing and shipping, train part manufacturers should always partner with experienced investment casting companies to ensure consistent results. Investment casting plays an important role in the production of various train components and accessories, with specialized materials, tools, and manufacturing equipment needed to ensure tight tolerances, large production runs, and tight production deadlines.
What is investment casting?
Investment casting involves performance-critical casting and complex manufacturing of various machine components. This modern industrial process is based on traditional lost-wax casting, which is one of the oldest metal-forming techniques used in human civilization. Investment casting involves an investment ‘shell’ made of various materials according to the intended application. Common materials include ceramic, plaster, and plastic, which are formed around a wax pattern where metal is poured. The following casting solutions are common:
Investment casting for a train part manufacturer
In the context of train part manufacturing, investment casting enables improved product performance through the production of complex and high-precision components. Train part manufacture can be incredibly costly, but investment casting can help streamline the manufacturing process and ensure high-quality results. Sub-suppliers are generally required for individual train components in order to meet production and performance requirements. In order to select the right sub-suppliers, it’s important to pay attention to the following issues:
- Access to quality materials
- Access to jigs and tools
- Advanced engineering capabilities
- Precise configuration control
- Consistent production control
- Benefits of investment casting
Investment casting is the most efficient way to produce complex and performance-critical train accessories. From structural members to wheels and axles, it’s important to work with a casting company that can design and produce complex train parts with their existing equipment. Investment casting offers the following advantages for a train part manufacturer:
- Size and variety – Investment castings can be large or small, with different sizes and shapes easily produced to meet the needs of the project. Investment casting is highly versatile during the design phase.
- Consistency and precision – Investment casing is highly consistent and precise with very tight tolerances. Investment casting delivers precision parts through a multi-stage process with testing at every phase.
- Large runs and ROI – Investment casting is ideal for large runs as a single cast design can be used throughout the production cycle. As a train manufacturer, this allows for great risk reduction and enables a positive return on investment.
The cost of train parts can easily spiral out of control when the assembly process is too complex, the tolerances are not specified or too tight, or the production deadlines are too difficult to handle. Curved shapes and moving parts require additional work, with many train components both mission-critical and highly complex. Partnering with an experienced investment casting team is important to ensure manufacturing efficiency, production consistency, and outstanding product performance.
The KICastings advantage
At KICastings, we produce high-quality investment castings with excellent physical and mechanical properties. Our castings provide a range of benefits for train manufacturers, including complex geometries, tight curves, operating strength, and corrosion resistance. From design and prototyping through to final production, our combination of expertise and experience ensures quality and consistency at every turn.
