3D printing maritime spare parts
Germany headquartered classification society DNV GL has been appointed as the lead researcher of the first phase of a new Singapore-based program to study the feasibility of additive manufacturing (AM), or 3D printing, in the maritime industry.
“We believe that the best way forward in the development of AM is collaboration across the ecosystem,” commented Kenneth Lim, Director, Research & Technology and Industry Development Transformation at MPA. “As Singapore seeks to be the global maritime hub for connectivity, innovation and talent, we are excited to see that multiple stakeholders are together exploring the potential of how additive manufacturing can be applied in the maritime industry to create greater value.”
In a Joint Industry Program (JIP) initiated by the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) DNV GL will team up with ten member companies of the Singapore Ship Association (SSA) to examine how spare parts produced by 3D printers can help the capital-intensive industry to cut costs and downtimes.
The goal of the JIP is to establish a list of commonly-ordered parts that are highly feasible for 3D printing with or without certification respectively not feasible for 3D printing.
To date, the challenges of marine parts inventory include not only inventory costs, low utilisation rates and parts obsolescence, but also complex supply chains and accompanying logistics costs. AM technology has the potential to revolutionise the way marine spare parts are designed, manufactured, and distributed to end users. In addition, on-site manufacturing for maintenance becomes an important application of AM.
By Jake Frith
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