Next station: 3D-printed spare parts for Dubai Metro

Dubai - RTA and Siemens join hands for improved parts with better performance and increased features.

The Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) in Dubai reiterated its endeavour and commitment to harness the world's most sophisticated technologies to be utilised in diverse RTA's operations to support the delivery of its services to the public from different social segments.

To this effect, the RTA and Siemens have recently inked a memorandum of understanding (MoU) at RTA's headquarter in Dubai. The MoU is an additional step that will practically enhance RTA's already applied 3D printing initiative. It will seek to extend the sources of spare parts for the Dubai metro and increase their availability, reduce obsolescence issues and enable getting improved parts with better performance and increased features.

Abdul Mohsin Ibrahim Younes, CEO of Rail Agency, signed the MoU for RTA and Alexander Biron von Curland, Senior Executive Vice President, Mobility, Siemens Middle East signed it for Siemens. Also attending the signing of MoU were a number of RTA's directors, managers and employees from different departments at RTA's Rail Agency.

"This step would certainly consolidate RTA's constant efforts to back up Dubai's endeavours in becoming the world's smartest city in three years, which would definitely contribute to make the residents of Dubai, its visitors and tourists happier and more satisfied," said Abdul Mohsin Ibrahim Younes, CEO of Rail Agency."

"Joining forces with an international prestigious company such Siemens would certainly empower RTA to realize its technological targets and innovation objectives as per the timeline scheduled for the evolvement of 3D printing technology at the maintenance operation of the Rail Agency," Younes added.

Commenting on the MoU, Alexander Biron von Curland, Senior Executive Vice President, Mobility, Siemens Middle East said: "We are proud to be working with the RTA to advance industrialized 3D printing in Dubai, in line with the emirate's vision to be the world's smartest city. Siemens has been a pioneer of 3D printing worldwide, and this digital technology is changing the way we design and manufacture spare parts for mobility systems such as metros."

It is worth noting that RTA's Rail Agency rolled out during the second half of 2016 the utilization of 3D printing technology on the Dubai Metro. The team of the Rail Agency Maintenance Department succeeded to print parts for the metro's subsystems.