TECHNO-ECONOMIC ANALYSIS OF THE INNOVATED TECHNOLOGY FOR THE PRODUCTION OF WAGONS BRAKE TRIANGLE

Abstract

Increasing profits by reducing costs during product development and its production and quality increasing
are challenges that companies face every day in their operations. The aspiration of modern production is to achieve
an effect similar to those in mass production (or at least in large series production) even on extremely small series of
products, even on personalized products. Techno-economic analysis in modern companies is an integral part of the
company's modern information system. This paper presents a techno-economic analysis of innovative technologies
for the production of a wagons triangle brake, a product that is an integral part of the brake system of freight and
passenger wagons of the older generation: casting and additive technologies. Given that there are currently available
different production technologies that can be applied, one of the criteria for choosing a production technology is its
profitability. The choice of solution, whether the product will be made by casting (or welding) or additive
technology, is mostly influenced by the size of the series. In the case of the cast part, the so-called constant costs
(model, molds for cores), but variable costs are therefore lower, i.e., costs proportional to the number of
manufactured pieces. Additive technologies that can be used to make such parts can use numerous methods, three of
which stand out due to their application in practice. These are stereolithography (STL), extruded material (EBM)
and direct metal laser sintering (DMLS). Machine cost is the main factor for stereolithography and melt extrusion,
while material cost is the main factor for laser sintering. The price of additively manufactured parts is calculated
according to the cost model that follows activities, where each cost is linked to a specific activity. The analysis
indicates that additive technologies are not such a cheap process, especially in serial production, but they are
excellent in individual production or during rapid prototyping, and the price of the product obtained by additive
technology is the same for each piece. Also, cast parts have high initial costs (casting molds, etc.), but castings are
relatively cheap, which leads to a drop in the total price as the series increases. Both technologies have limitations in
terms of the materials that can be used in casting or additive manufacturing processes. Based on the technoeconomic
analysis, it can be concluded, also, that certain activities require the engagement of other companies that
should be entrusted with certain business activities or tasks - in this way, the company's resources are saved and
employed on other more expedient activities that will bring greater benefits, and the system work is not disturbed or
disturbed. The advantage of casting technology over additive technologies is already profitable for series over 42
pieces, and compared to forging, the casting of this part of the product is 2.5 times cheaper.