3D Metal Printers in the Oil and Gas Sector: Efficiency and Innovation
Metal 3D printing allows for on-site manufacturing and faster replacement of broken parts. It also reduces the need for storage of inventory. Additionally, optimisation of design leads to longer-lasting parts.Billions of people around the world rely on energy industries. Yet these industries face frequent equipment breakdowns in remote locations.
Efficiency
The trillion-dollar oil and gas industry is one of the earliest adopters of 3D metal printers, a process by which powdered stainless steel and other alloys are melded together layer by layer with high-precision lasers.
Unlike conventional manufacturing, which relies on multiple steps to build a single component, additive technology allows for the creation of complex shapes that would be impossible to produce through other means. This allows companies to design parts that are more efficient and cost-effective, resulting in significant savings on manufacturing costs and materials.
Customization
In the upstream stage of the oil and gas industry, metal 3D printing holds significant potential as it can help minimise risks. It can be used to produce parts for a range of applications, from R&D of finding hydrocarbon sources, drilling, bringing them to the surface and capping wells, to transporting and storing the resulting oil and gas products.
One of the key reasons for this is that metal 3D printing offers a shorter value chain than traditional manufacturing methods. This is because it can eliminate the need for casting and machining components.
It is also highly flexible, enabling engineers to create optimised designs that would be difficult or impossible to manufacture using conventional technologies. This can result in enhanced reliability and performance.
Many companies are already embracing this technology and taking steps to maximise its benefits. Baker Hughes, for example, has partnered with Wurth Industry North America to offer design, digital inventory and customized 3D printing services.
Flexibility
The oil and gas industry operates in remote locations, meaning that repairs and maintenance are often required to keep operations running. These events can be costly and result in unplanned downtime that costs energy companies millions of dollars each year. 3D printing can reduce downtime and improve efficiency, by allowing engineers to print replacement parts in real time.
A metal-based printer, such as Protolabs’ Direct Metal Laser Sintering (DMLS) system, can be used to print a range of materials that can be matched to the specific needs of an operation. This includes ultra-strong titanium, Inconel 718—a high-strength corrosion-resistant nickel alloy—and stainless steel 316L.
In addition to improving efficiency, the flexibility of 3D printing provides significant sustainability benefits. The ability to produce a part in a local manufacturing facility removes the need to ship expensive equipment from manufacturers thousands of miles away, reducing transport emissions and supply chain chokepoints.
Innovation
Oil and gas companies must be able to maintain production in a range of complex environments. Metal 3D printing can help them meet those challenges and achieve their operational objectives. But the technology is not yet widespread enough to fully transform the sector.
3D printing provides a way to manufacture replacement parts in hours, even at remote sites or in locations where the geopolitical climate makes it difficult to access oil or gas resources. The technology can also be used to design and test new parts, equipment and tools without the need for expensive prototyping processes. This can reduce costs and time to market.
The low-volume and on-demand production capabilities of 3D printing also offer substantial cost savings for the energy sector. In addition to reducing tooling and waste, 3D printing allows for the manufacture of spare parts on demand rather than having to stockpile inventory.
About Author
