Modular Railway Car Body Assembly for Customization

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Solution Overview

Problem

The production of rail vehicle car bodies is complex, time-consuming, and expensive due to the need for multiple joining methods and customer-specific requirements, leading to high variance and complexity in manufacturing processes.

Innovation Solution

The method involves segmenting the car body into individual modules, which are manufactured separately and connected to form the complete car body, allowing for reduced complexity, increased manufacturing accuracy, and simplified assembly with fewer joining methods, while also enabling customer-specific configurations and pre-fabrication for quicker production.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Manufacturing precision

If the car body is manufactured as a whole using conventional sequential processes, then the structural integrity is maintained, but the manufacturing complexity and time increase significantly

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvemanufacturing accuracyVSAvoidmanufacturing process complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Manufacturing precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The car body is divided into multiple modular components that can be manufactured separately and then assembled. This segmentation reduces the complexity of each individual manufacturing process while maintaining the overall structural integrity of the complete car body.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

2Adaptability or versatility

If multiple different joining methods are used to assemble various car body components, then all customer-specific requirements are met, but the assembly process becomes more complex and time-consuming

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecustomer-specific configurationsVSAvoidassembly time

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

A universal joining system is implemented that can accommodate different module types and customer configurations through a standardized interface. This allows various car body variants to be produced using the same assembly process and joining methods, reducing assembly time while maintaining adaptability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Solution Approach 2:

Car body modules are pre-fabricated with standardized connection interfaces before assembly. This preliminary preparation enables faster on-site assembly by eliminating the need for complex custom fitting and multiple different joining procedures during the final assembly process.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

3Reliability

If corrosion protection is applied to the complete assembled car body, then the entire structure is protected, but blind spots remain in inaccessible areas

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecorrosion protectionVSAvoidcorrosion blind spots

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

Corrosion protection is applied to individual car body modules before they are assembled into the complete vehicle. This preliminary application ensures that all surfaces, including those that would later be inaccessible in the assembled state, receive thorough protection without blind spots.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

4Adaptability or versatility

If the car body is customized for each customer requirement, then individual needs are met, but production costs and complexity increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecustomized variantsVSAvoidproduction effort

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The car body is segmented into standardized modules that can be configured in different combinations to meet customer requirements. This allows customization without requiring complete redesign or manual fabrication for each variant, significantly reducing production effort while maintaining adaptability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

Customization is achieved by changing parameters such as module selection, arrangement, and configuration rather than redesigning the entire car body. This approach allows different customer requirements to be met through recombination of existing modular components, reducing production complexity and cost.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

Data Source

PatentEP4155158A1Method for manufacturing a car body of a railway vehicle, car body and railway vehicle with a car body

Publication Date: 2023.03.29 SIEMENS MOBILITY GMBH

Figure 1~4

AI summary

The invention relates to a method for manufacturing a car body of a rail vehicle, a car body of a rail vehicle, and a rail vehicle with a car body. The method for manufacturing a car body of a rail vehicle comprises the following steps: - segmenting the car body into individual modules, - separate manufacturing of the car body modules, - joining the manufactured modules together to form the car body. The method according to the invention allows the manufacturing of a car body of a rail vehicle, for example, a tram, to be divided into the manufacturing of individual modules, which are then assembled, for example, in an assembly stand, to complete the car body. Due to the modules, which can be flexibly combined with one another in different, desired sequences, the process can be adapted to create a car body.Since they can be connected to each other, individualized car body variants can be produced very easily and with significantly less effort, and consequently customer-specific requirements can be implemented more individually, quickly and easily, without having to produce completely individualized car body variants in each case.