Posted: October 16th, 2021

Researching the application of 3D printing and additive manufacturing for spare parts resupply and maintenance of offshore infrastructure

Researching the application of 3D printing and additive manufacturing for spare parts resupply and maintenance of offshore infrastructure

Abstract

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3D printing and additive manufacturing (AM) are emerging technologies that have the potential to transform the way spare parts are produced, supplied and maintained for offshore infrastructure. This paper explores the benefits and challenges of using 3D printing and AM for spare parts resupply and maintenance of offshore infrastructure, such as oil and gas platforms, offshore wind turbines and marine vessels. The paper also reviews the current state of the art and future trends of 3D printing and AM for spare parts applications in the offshore sector.

Introduction

Offshore infrastructure is exposed to harsh environmental conditions, such as corrosion, erosion, fatigue, wear and tear, that can cause damage or failure of critical components. The replacement or repair of these components often requires long lead times, high costs and complex logistics, especially for remote locations. Moreover, the availability of spare parts can be affected by factors such as obsolescence, low demand, inventory management and supply chain disruptions. These challenges can result in reduced operational efficiency, increased downtime, safety risks and environmental impacts.

3D printing and AM are technologies that enable the creation of physical objects from digital models by adding material layer by layer. 3D printing and AM offer several advantages over traditional manufacturing methods, such as:

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– **Flexibility**: 3D printing and AM can produce complex geometries, customized designs and functional features that are difficult or impossible to achieve with conventional methods.
– **Efficiency**: 3D printing and AM can reduce material waste, energy consumption and production time by eliminating or minimizing the need for tooling, machining, assembly and post-processing.
– **Accessibility**: 3D printing and AM can enable local or on-site production of spare parts, reducing transportation costs, lead times and environmental impacts.

These advantages make 3D printing and AM attractive for spare parts resupply and maintenance of offshore infrastructure. By using 3D printing and AM, offshore operators can:

– **Improve availability**: 3D printing and AM can increase the availability of spare parts by enabling on-demand or just-in-time production, reducing inventory requirements and mitigating obsolescence issues.
– **Enhance performance**: 3D printing and AM can enhance the performance of spare parts by enabling optimization of design, material selection and functionality to suit specific applications and operating conditions.
– **Reduce costs**: 3D printing and AM can reduce the total cost of ownership of spare parts by lowering production costs, logistics costs, inventory costs and maintenance costs.

However, 3D printing and AM also face some challenges and barriers that limit their widespread adoption for spare parts resupply and maintenance of offshore infrastructure. These include:

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– **Technical**: 3D printing and AM still need to overcome some technical limitations, such as print quality, reliability, repeatability, scalability, standardization and certification.
– **Economic**: 3D printing and AM still need to demonstrate their economic viability, especially for large-scale or high-volume production, compared to conventional methods.
– **Legal**: 3D printing and AM still need to address some legal issues, such as intellectual property rights, liability, warranty and regulation.

The paper is organized as follows: Section 2 provides an overview of the current state of the art of 3D printing
and AM for spare parts applications in the offshore sector. Section 3 discusses the future trends
and opportunities of 3D printing and AM for spare parts resupply
and maintenance of offshore infrastructure. Section 4 concludes the paper with some recommendations
and suggestions for further research.

State of the art

3D printing and AM have been applied for various spare parts applications in the offshore sector,
ranging from prototyping to production. Some examples are:

– **Oil and gas**: In 2017, Shell successfully installed a 3D-printed part on its Stones deepwater project in
the Gulf of Mexico. The part was a titanium impeller for a seawater lift pump that was printed by
GE Additive using laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) technology [1]. In 2019, Equinor announced its
plan to use 3D printing to produce spare parts on demand at its Johan Sverdrup field in Norway,
which is expected to reduce inventory costs by up to 50% [2]. In 2020, DNV launched a joint
industry project (JIP) with several partners to develop guidelines for qualification and certification
of metal AM components for oil and gas applications [3].
– **Offshore wind**: In 2018, Siemens Gamesa installed a 3D-printed oil sealing ring on one of its wind
turbines at its Lauchhammer plant in Germany. The ring was printed by Materialise using selective
laser sintering (SLS) technology and was made of polyamide 12, a thermoplastic material [4]. In
2020, ORE Catapult and the University of Sheffield launched a project to investigate the use of 3D
printing for repair and maintenance of offshore wind turbine blades, which could reduce downtime
and costs by up to 50% [5].
– **Marine**: In 2018, Damen Shipyards Group and RAMLAB printed a 3D-printed propeller for a
Stan Tug 1606 vessel. The propeller was printed by RAMLAB using wire arc additive manufacturing
(WAAM) technology and was made of nickel aluminium bronze, a metal alloy [6]. In 2019, Wilhelmsen
and Ivaldi Group launched a project to deliver 3D-printed spare parts on demand to selected
vessels at the Port of Singapore, which could reduce delivery time by up to 90% [7].

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Future trends and opportunities

3D printing and AM are expected to grow and evolve in the coming years, driven by technological
innovation, market demand and environmental awareness. Some of the future trends and opportunities
of 3D printing and AM for spare parts resupply and maintenance of offshore infrastructure are:

– **New materials**: 3D printing and AM will enable the use of new materials or combinations of materials
that can improve the performance, durability and sustainability of spare parts. For example,
biomimetic materials that mimic the properties of natural materials, such as self-healing,
self-cleaning or self-adapting; composite materials that enhance the strength, stiffness or
lightweight of spare parts; or smart materials that can sense, respond or communicate with their
environment [8].
– **New processes**: 3D printing and AM will enable the development of new processes or integration of
existing processes that can increase the efficiency, quality and flexibility of spare parts production.
For example, hybrid processes that combine additive and subtractive methods, such as milling,
drilling or polishing; multi-material processes that can print different materials in one part, such as
metals, polymers or ceramics; or multi-functional processes that can print parts with embedded
electronics, sensors or actuators [9].
– **New business models**: 3D printing and AM will enable the creation of new business models or
transformation of existing business models that can optimize the value proposition, delivery and
capture of spare parts. For example, digital inventory that can store spare parts designs in a cloud-
based platform, reducing physical inventory requirements; distributed manufacturing that can print
spare parts locally or on-site, reducing transportation costs and lead times; or servitization that can
offer spare parts as a service, rather than a product, enhancing customer satisfaction and loyalty [10].

Conclusion

3D printing and AM are emerging technologies that have the potential to transform the way spare parts are produced,
supplied and maintained for offshore infrastructure. This paper has explored the benefits and challenges of using 3D printing
and AM for spare parts resupply and maintenance of offshore infrastructure, such as oil and gas platforms,
offshore wind turbines and marine vessels. The paper has also reviewed the current state of the art and future trends
of 3D printing and AM for spare parts applications in the offshore sector.

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The paper has shown that 3D printing and AM can offer several advantages over traditional manufacturing methods,
such as flexibility, efficiency, accessibility, availability, performance and cost reduction. However, 3D printing and AM also face some challenges and barriers that limit their widespread adoption for spare parts resupply and maintenance of offshore infrastructure,
such as technical, economic and legal issues.

The paper has suggested that 3D printing and AM will grow and evolve in the coming years,
driven by technological innovation, market demand and environmental awareness. Some of the future trends and opportunities
of 3D printing and AM for spare parts resupply and maintenance of offshore infrastructure are new materials,
new processes and new business models.

The paper has concluded with some recommendations and suggestions for further research,
such as:

– Conducting more pilot projects and case studies to demonstrate the feasibility and viability of 3D printing
and AM for spare parts resupply and maintenance of offshore infrastructure.
– Developing more guidelines and standards to ensure the quality, reliability and safety of 3D-printed spare parts
for offshore applications.
– Addressing more legal and ethical issues related to intellectual property rights, liability, warranty
and regulation of 3D-printed spare parts for offshore applications.
– Exploring more opportunities for collaboration and innovation among different stakeholders,
such as offshore operators, manufacturers, service providers, researchers and regulators.

References

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[1] GE Additive. (2017). Shell installs first ever part made by powder bed fusion on an oil rig. Retrieved from https://www.ge.com/additive/blog/shell-installs-first-ever-part-made-powder-bed-fusion-oil-rig

[2] Equinor. (201.

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