3D Spark GmbH, a Hamburg-based software company specializing in digital inventory management enabled by additive manufacturing (AM), announced that it has signed a two-year enterprise deal with Austrian Federal Railways (ÖBB). 3D Spark and ÖBB recently released a case study highlighting how the railway company drastically accelerated its ability to quote 3D printed parts by implementing 3D Spark’s platform.
For instance, by incorporating 3D Spark into its workflow, ÖBB reduced the need for manual request for quotes (RFQs) consultations by 75 percent, and simultaneously sped up its order rate by 400 percent. Further, by using 3D Spark, ÖBB was also able to find new opportunities to reduce the lead time, cost, and CO2 emissions associated with certain spare parts.
With over 100,000 different spare parts in its inventory, ÖBB is a perfect candidate for exploring the potential of what can be accomplished with automated inventory management. Via the expanded agreement, ÖBB will integrate 3D Spark into its digital warehouse and Systems, Applications, and Products (SAP) systems, including “rail-specific” AI models for extracting 3D design data from 2D drawings.
A part analyzed with 3D Spark and later printed by ÖBB
In a press release about 3D Spark’s two-year deal with ÖBB, the CEO and founder of 3D Spark, Ruben Meuth, said, “ÖBB’s continued trust is a strong signal of the value we provide. By combining precise manufacturability analysis and costing, with real-time supplier prices, we’re unlocking a new level of efficiency in Make or Buy decisions, improving resilience for rail supply chains.”
Meanwhile, Patrick Klein, an Application Engineer at ÖBB, said, “3D Spark combines technical excellence with a unique understanding of the rail sector. Over time, they’ve earned our trust through results and responsiveness. With this long-term agreement, we’re confident we have the right partner to shape the future of our spare parts and procurement strategy.”
3D Spark Platform Implemented at ÖBB
As I wrote recently regarding Würth Additive Group’s (WAG’s) full launch of its Digital Inventory Services platform, the time seems to have arrived for digital warehouse solutions. The two-year agreement between 3D Spark and ÖBB is especially impressive, as it demonstrates that a major customer is committed to expanding the digitization of its supply chain management processes over a long timeframe.
Of course, two years won’t be remotely long enough to completely transform the sourcing methods for such a large enterprise — but ÖBB doesn’t have to set its sights on such an overwhelming task, anyhow. ÖBB simply needs to keep increasing the number of spare parts that it has subjected to the 3D Spark streamlining process, which has already been proven in the case study, and that will be enough to count as a win for everyone involved. A realistic goal, then, might be that, two years from now, ÖBB renews its partnership with 3D Spark for an even lengthier term.
Perhaps the most exciting angle to this deal is the prospect of how much will change in the digital inventory space between now and two years from now. In early 2027, 3D Spark’s platform will be far more tested and refined, thanks in no small part to its experience working with a customer like ÖBB.
Images courtesy of 3D Spark and ÖBB
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