ABS, Sembcorp Marine, 3D Metalforge and ConocoPhillips Polar Tankers Inc. (Polar) have successfully fabricated, tested, and installed functional additive manufactured parts on board the oil tanker Endeavor, according to the ABS release. Traditionally, parts used in shipbuilding and repair are manufactured via casting or forging techniques. For this project, the consortium aimed to utilize Additive Manufacturing (AM) to fabricate three types of parts that surpass conventionally manufactured products in terms of quality. These AM parts have passed rigorous approval, reliability and safety tests, and are as follows:
“ABS is proud to be able to support this practical project, which produced and implemented additive manufactured parts on a Polar vessel. It’s a key development in a technology that certainly has a significant role to play in the future of the industry. ABS is committed to ensuring these types of parts are introduced without compromising safety,” said Patrick Ryan, ABS Senior Vice President, Global Engineering and Technology.
“Safety and reliability are of the utmost importance to the operation of our vessels. Additive manufacturing has the potential to offer some exciting new opportunities to support these goals,” said Robert Noyer, Polar Tankers Engineering Superintendent.
Sembcorp Marine Head of Research & Development Mr. Simon Kuik said: “The collaboration with ABS and 3D Metalforge is a continuation of Sembcorp Marine’s drive to innovate and improve our production capacities and capabilities. This development enables Sembcorp Marine to further refine our products and deliver customized solutions safely and more efficiently.”
“3D Metalforge is extremely pleased to be supporting this program and it builds on our aim of working with leading global companies to widen and deepen the adoption of additively manufactured parts in the globally critical maritime sector,” said Matthew Waterhouse, CEO and Founder of 3D Metalforge.
Also known as 3D printing, AM is the fabrication of parts by adding material layer by layer. It means products and components can be fabricated locally or potentially on board ships and offshore assets, shrinking the supply chain and lead times for specialized and complex parts, introducing new efficiencies driven by design innovation, reduced manufacturing time, and improvements in parts availability.
ABS has been supporting the industry with the introduction of AM since 2017, when it published an Advisory that provides an overview of metal AM technologies, technical challenges and tradeoffs, changes to the design process, quality and reliability. In 2018, ABS released new Guidance Notes that establish a consistent approach for qualifying AM systems and facilities to produce parts for the marine and offshore markets. Central to this new guidance is developing a process that helps manufacturers create repeatable and reliable results. The guidance discusses three common metal additive manufacturing techniques as listed by ASTM F42: Powder Bed Fusion (PBF), Directed Energy Deposition (DED), and Binder Jetting. Download a copy here.
About Polar Tankers
Polar Tankers, wholly owned subsidiary of ConocoPhillips, is located in Houston, Texas. The vessels operated by Polar Tankers utilize fully redundant operating and navigation systems as well as twin engine rooms – each capable of propelling the vessel at full capacity. The double hull design was engineered to exceed OPA 90 requirements for safe and efficient oil transportation in the environments in which they operate.
About Sembcorp Marine
Sembcorp Marine provides innovative engineering solutions to the global offshore, marine and energy industries. Headquartered in Singapore, we have close to 60 years of track record in the design and construction of rigs, floaters, offshore platforms and specialised vessels, as well as in the repair, upgrading and conversion of different ship types. Our solutions focus on the following areas: Gas Value Chain; Renewable Energy; Process; Advanced Drilling Rigs; Ocean Living; and Maritime Security.
Sembcorp Marine operates shipyards and other facilities strategically located in Singapore, Indonesia, the United Kingdom, Norway and Brazil.
About 3D Metalforge
3D Metalforge, as a leading global Additive Manufacturing company, supports cutting-edge companies with their global production printing requirements. 3D Metalforge’s Hi-Tech facility and engineering teams are based in the global cities of Singapore and Houston, Texas. Housing one of the most advanced range of printing equipment including Multi Jet Fusion, Powder Bed Fusion and Directed Energy Deposition technologies. 3DMF’s range of additive manufacturing (AM) services include consultancy (site and opportunity assessment and diagnostics), engineering and design optimization, printing for production as well as post-production services. Key industries we support include maritime, oil & gas, precision engineering as well as manufacturing.
About ABS
ABS, a leading global provider of classification and technical advisory services to the marine and offshore industries, is committed to setting standards for safety and excellence in design and construction. Focused on safe and practical application of advanced technologies and digital solutions, ABS works with clients to develop accurate and cost-effective compliance, optimized performance and operational efficiency for marine and offshore assets.