DB flagship
Photon manufactures sidewall and roof segments as well as bows and cross members for the roof and
underframe for the 1,465 carriages of the new DB
flagship (Siemens-Bombardier).
- Laser welding XXL
- Lightweight steel construction: Stability & efficiency
- Development of the manufacturing concept and support in component design
- Highest precision from individual part production to automated welding processes
Project details
The new flagship of the DB fleet will be in service for decades, with top speeds of up to 250 km/h.
This places the highest demands on the outer shell in terms of stability and workmanship. But lightness is also required. Every extra gram of weight travels millions of kilometers, worsens the energy balance, and thus causes higher costs in the long term. A tricky task for the wagon builders at Siemens/Bombardier.
The Photon Solution: Steel and Laser. Laser-welded wagon components made of sheet steel offer maximum stability even with thin material thicknesses – without bulky internal reinforcements, as would be necessary, for example, when using aluminum.
Photon's XXL laser welding portals can weld even the thinnest steel sheets with the highest quality, precision, and strength—efficiently, quickly, and without visible weld seams on the outer skin. This saves time, costs, and material in the production process, creates space in the interior of the train, and reduces the ecological footprint of the ICE 4.
A solution that impressed Siemens/Bombardier. In the coming years, Photon will manufacture side walls, roof assemblies, and underframe components for approximately 1,600 ICE4 wagons. And much more than just a piece of Photon is found in many other trains. That means it's time for the competition to:
“Please stand back!”
