Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) will extend its use of 3D printing to maintain its assets.Â
A memorandum of understanding (MoU) was recently inked between RTA and Siemens to expand the transport authority’s use of 3D printing.Â
In October 2016, RTA announced its uptake of 3D printing to maintain key elements of Dubai Metro.Â
READ:Â RTA uses 3D printing to maintain Dubai Metro parts
Siemens and RTA’s latest agreement is expected to “practically enhance” the latter’s 3D printing programmes.Â
The MoU 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”, according to Dubai Media Office.
Commenting on the agreement, Abdul Mohsin Ibrahim Younes, CEO of RTA’s rail agency, said: “This step [will] certainly consolidate RTA’s constant efforts to back up Dubai’s endeavours in becoming the world’s smartest city in three years.”Â
Working with Siemens, Younes added, will “empower RTA to realise its technological targets and innovation objectives as per the timeline scheduled” for 3D printing technology’s uptake for the rail agency’s maintenance operation.Â
VIDEO:Â Can Dubai be a 3D printed construction hub?
Meanwhile, Alexander Biron von Curland, senior executive vice president for mobility at Siemens Middle East, said 3D printing is making an impact on the company’s internal evolution as well.Â
“This digital technology is changing the way we design and manufacture spare parts for mobility systems such as metros,” he added.Â
Parts for subsystems of ticket vending machines (TVMs), ticket gates, and other areas of metro trains are being 3DÂ printed as per RTA’s October 2016 adoption of the technology.Â