Neles has delivered its first valve with a 3D-printed valve body for field testing. Except for the body, the valve is a standard T5-series ball valve made of stainless steel. It will be tested at Teollisuuden Voima’s power plant in Finland. The project is done in cooperation with Teollisuuden Voima and Fortum.
Neles is at the forefront of using 3D printing in valve applications. The company started testing the suitability of 3D printing technologies for metal components years ago and supplied the first valves with non-pressure-retaining, 3D-printed metal components in 2018.
The field tests will provide a lot of valuable information on the feasibility of using 3D printing to produce pressure-retaining parts with significantly quicker delivery times. 3D printing also enables more efficient use of materials and optimized flow paths in noise attenuation trims, delivering superior performance compared to conventionally produced trims.
