Siemens' Innovative Vectron Locomotive Production: Laser Welding Systems and AI Support

Siemens has significantly expanded the production capacity of Vectron locomotives at its Munich-Allach site. With a €250 million expansion of the production base, it now has space to manufacture up to 385 locomotives and 180 Vectouro carriages annually. Production is highly automated, relying on modern technologies such as laser welding systems and AI-supported quality inspections.

Laser-assisted assembly is one of the many highly automated production steps in Munich. This step is complex and must accommodate numerous customer requirements. Barely any current control channel is identical to another. It is such semi-automated solutions that help ensure the production of highly complex locomotives remains feasible in a high-cost location like Munich. In the production of the car body steel structure, after parts are cut, the stainless steel (VA) locomotive bodies are welded together. Siemens already relies on efficient technology here: two of the four laser welding systems in Europe are located here, responsible for producing the long beams of the locomotives. Compared with traditional processes, they cause less deformation, operate 500% faster, and thus require less rework.

passed on to the next production step. AI-supported quality inspections help achieve this. For example, they use photoelectric sensors to detect missing components or deviations with very low tolerances, and collect data for digital twins, which also play a role in later maintenance and repairs. Nevertheless, manual work remains indispensable in locomotive manufacturing: box bodies and locomotive frames are welded using traditional methods. The locomotive bodies then enter the paint shop and receive the customer-specific color over the primer. Meanwhile, many components of the locomotive are assembled during pre-assembly, where Siemens also relies on a high degree of automation.