Lloyd’s Register Energy and TWI launched a joint industry project (JIP) on additive manufacturing.
Called ‘Certification of laser powder additive manufactured components for industrial adoption in the energy and offshore sectors’, the event attracted considerable interest from companies worldwide.
Sponsors of this JIP will be able to gain early adoption of ‘approved’ additive manufacturing practices for their products. Long term benefits include reduced manufacturing and maintenance costs, faster lead times on complex components, component life extension and increased durability.
Photo courtesy of Lloyd’s Register Energy
Additive manufacturing, alternatively known as 3D printing, is on the rise. Global trends indicate that the market is set to grow by 390% in the next seven years, with Lloyd’s Register Energy’s recent Technology Radar survey suggesting that additive manufacturing will have a major impact in the oil and gas industry.
“Challenges have existed because there has been no standardised way of proving to manufacturers and regulators that printed products are safe,” says Chung. “There have been risks associated with consistency and quality control, long term performance, data integrity, intellectual property, and in both software and hardware used in high precision manufacturing. The JIP will overcome these issues faced by manufacturers through working together.”
