Certification of Laser Powder Additive Manufactured Components for Industrial Adoption in the Energy and Offshore Sectors
Status: Completed
Date Announced: September, 2015
Project reference: 25674
Project start: May 2016
Additive Manufacturing (AM), widely known as 3D printing, is a direct digital manufacturing process in which a component is produced layer by layer directly from 3D digital data without the use of machining, moulding or casting. AM has developed rapidly in the last ten years and has demonstrated significant potential for reducing the cost of aerospace components and unique opportunities in the medical sector. Benefits can be realised through improved design freedom, weight reduction and lower tooling costs, complemented by reductions in carbon footprint and waste during manufacture.
This project, to be operated jointly by TWI and Lloyd’s Register Energy will bring together research and development efforts alongside real-world additive manufacturing practices to create new industry product certification guidelines - paving the way for more widespread adoption of the additive manufacturing technology and assisting industry in how best to tap in to its potential.
This JIP will:
- Identify potential applications of AM in the Energy and Offshore sectors.
- Undertake practical work to determine optimum build parameters and producecomponents.
- Determine required inspection activities to certify component.
- Generate AM Certification Guidelines, based on certification of the selected components.
Selective Laser Melting (SLM) and Laser Metal Deposition (LMD) are the processes that will be applied in the JIP, leading to qualification of components defined by the sponsors. Further details can be found in the attached Project Outline.