PITTSBURGH, June 08, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Wabtec Corporation (NYSE: WAB) celebrated today the start of operations at Neighborhood 91, the additive manufacturing production campus at Pittsburgh International Airport’s Innovation Campus. The new 11,000-sq-ft facility builds upon Wabtec’s efforts to drive innovation in the rail industry through its growing additive manufacturing capabilities.
“Advances in additive technology are changing the way we design and build the next generation of business-critical, sustainable products for our customers,” said Eric Gebhardt, Wabtec’s Chief Technology Officer. “Neighborhood 91 and its one-of-a-kind additive ecosystem will help foster creative solutions to engineering challenges and breakthroughs in 3D printing. Our Neighborhood 91 facility and the other additive labs in Western Pennsylvania will accelerate new innovations that shrink lead times, reduce cost and increase reliability.”
Wabtec’s site at Neighborhood 91 features an SLM®800 printer, which will produce state-of-the-art, large-scale, lightweight parts for rail industry customers. Production will include metal aluminum transit components like brake parts, heat sinks for freight locomotives, among many other rail applications. Applying additive manufacturing technology to some of these applications will reduce lead times by up to 80 percent.
The new facility is part of Wabtec’s initiative to use additive manufacturing to provide parts faster, with a simplified supply chain, applying advanced features that improve the application, all at a competitive price point. The company plans to use additive technologies to produce over 25,000 parts by 2025 in support of the internal supply chain.
“To have a hometown Fortune 500 company like Wabtec continue to expand here in additive manufacturing is a win for the airport and our region,” said Allegheny County Executive Rich Fitzgerald. “Thanks to Wabtec for being a great regional partner, and we look forward to the continued growth at Neighborhood 91.”
Neighborhood 91 is the first development in the world to both condense and connect all components of the additive manufacturing and 3D-printing supply chain into one powerful production ecosystem. The Neighborhood 91 concept is based on co-located capital resources at the core of the development. It will house a complete end-to-end additive supply chain ranging from the powders to production, testing, analysis and delivery. Neighborhood 91 tenants gain efficiencies in production, cost savings from on-demand printing, and access to a major international airport.
“Part of the vision for Neighborhood 91 is to highlight the assets of the region right at the airport so we can build on community strengths,” said Allegheny County Airport Authority CEO Christina Cassotis. “For Wabtec, a global manufacturing leader, to choose Neighborhood 91 for its advanced manufacturing is a sign that our region has all it needs to be a leader in this space. I thank Wabtec for their leadership and partnership.”
Neighborhood 91, developed in conjunction with the University of Pittsburgh, is the first development of the 195-acre Pittsburgh Airport Innovation Campus. The location enables parts to ship immediately from the airport to any location in the world within 24 hours, which will improve supply chain performance and cut transportation costs.
About Wabtec
Wabtec Corporation (NYSE: WAB) is focused on creating transportation solutions that move and improve the world. The company is a leading global provider of equipment, systems, digital solutions and value-added services for the freight and transit rail industries, as well as the mining, marine and industrial markets. Wabtec has been a leader in the rail industry for over 150 years and has a vision to achieve a zero-emission rail system in the U.S. and worldwide. The company has approximately 27,000 employees located at facilities in 50 countries throughout the world. Visit Wabtec’s new website at: www.wabteccorp.com.
About Neighborhood 91
Neighborhood 91 is the first development in the world to both condense and connect all components of the additive manufacturing and 3D printing supply chain into one powerful production ecosystem. Located adjacent to the runways at Pittsburgh International Airport, Neighborhood 91 is an additive manufacturing production center at the 195-acre Pittsburgh Airport Innovation Campus. Learn more at Neighborhood91.com.
Media Contacts:
Wabtec
Tim Bader
682-319-7925 or tim.bader@wabtec.com
Pittsburgh International Airport
Bob Kerlik
412-472-3840 or BKerlik@FlyPittsburgh.com