Buses are designed for a long service life and are often in use for decades. However, the corresponding supply of spare parts and their long-term storage poses challenges such as warehousing and cost efficiency. Long-term storage can also lead to quality losses and losses in performance, which results in an increased need for spare parts.

Conventional supply of spare parts via injection molding is cost-intensive and can affect the supply chain since the tools often have to be reactivated, partially revised, parameterized and tested in a suitable injection molding machine.

Additive manufacturing presents a cost-effective, needs-based alternative.

Components for mass transportation such as buses require special flame resistance properties. Thermoplastics are often not able to meet these requirements in terms of drip resistance - especially with regard to the regulations of UN ECE R118 bus fire standard, Annexes 6, 7 and 8.

The variety of individually configurable components for commercial vehicles and the resulting high complexity of their maintenance place additional demands on the service partner.

Innovative 3D printing processes close this gap and offer numerous other advantages for OEMs and vehicle owners:

• Reduced carbon footprint
• Extended service life of commercial vehicles
• Sustainability through a prolonged product life cycle
• Highly efficient fast, customizable component procurement
• Effective cost-benefit factor through quick adjustment of spare parts
• Smaller production quantities
• Lower storage costs
• Consistently high product quality

After the final component approval, the OEM has several options for the additively manufactured spare part:

• An approved spare parts partner prints the desired object according to OEM specifications
• The OEM commissions a 3D printing service partner for additive manufacturing
• The OEM manufactures its own spare parts with its own SLS 3D printer

3D printed components can be powder coated with TIGER Drylac^® and printed with TIGITAL^® Inks​​​​​​​. This allows both the optical properties and the service life of an object to be improved in a targeted manner.

TIGER’s verbal and written recommendations for the processing, use and application of our products, including the information, product properties (e.g. mechanical properties and emission properties) and processing parameters (e.g. laser power, part bed temperatures, post-curing conditions)  provided in this use case, are based upon our experience and in accordance with present technological standards. These are given only in order to support the user, are noncommittal and do not constitute any additional commitment or product specification. The user shall be solely responsible for checking and verifying the suitability and/or fitness of our products and exemplary processing conditions for the intended use, application and process. Further, the user shall be solely responsible for the appropriate, safe and legally compliant use, processing, handling and application of our products as well as for any related 3D printed parts. To the extent permitted by applicable law, TIGER, its employees, boards, OWNERS, agents, subcontractors or affiliates can NOT be made liable for any damages, whether caused directly or indirectly BY or being related to this use case, or for any related loss of profit, loss of goodwill, or any other consequential damages. 

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