How can metal 3D printing promote the global production of energy equipment?

A leap from prototype manufacturing to large-scale production is a technological breakthrough.
Large-scale applications in the field of energy equipment have been made possible by metal 3D printing technology, which has overcome the constraints of early prototype verification. At its Berlin facility in Germany, Siemens Energy, a top producer of energy equipment worldwide, has installed 90 industrial-grade metal 3D printers, enabling it to produce more than 400 different kinds of parts that satisfy mass production requirements. One of them, the gas turbine burner, uses 3D printing to combine 13 welded elements into a single part, increasing its service life by three times and reducing the production cycle by 60%. The development of two key processes, directed energy deposition (DED) and powder bed melting (PBF), is what led to this technological advancement:
PBF procedure: Nickel-based alloy combustion chambers with intricate internal flow channels can be produced using Selective Laser Melting (SLM) technology. Gas turbine efficiency is increased by 1.2 percentage points with a cooling channel diameter of just 0.5 millimetres.
DED process: A massive pressure vessel measuring 900 millimetres in diameter and 1600 millimetres in height has been successfully printed by the Finnish company ANDRITZ using arc additive manufacturing (WAAM). Compared to conventional forging methods, it saves 40% of the materials and has a pressure capability of 111 bar. It has also passed the EN 13445-3 standard test.
The collaborative creativity of materials science is the driving force behind technological advancements. Siemens Energy has approved more than 400 metal products that are appropriate for the energy sector, such as the lightweight AlSi10Mg aluminium alloy, the hydrogen embrittlement-resistant 316L stainless steel, and the high-temperature corrosion-resistant IN718 nickel-based alloy. These materials' extensive adaption to 3D printing technology guarantees energy equipment dependability in harsh operating environments.
Global Manufacturing: Restructuring the Supply Chain for Energy Equipment
Metal Traditional manufacturing's geographic restrictions are being broken by 3D printing, which is also encouraging the shift in energy equipment manufacture towards a "distributed manufacturing+global collaboration" model. This process has been sped up by industry funds' intervention: The element chromium By establishing an automated production base in Europe with industry finances, Laibo 3D metal printing company has achieved an agile supply chain of "local production, local delivery" by supplying titanium alloy fuel nozzles for the Airbus A350 XWB. There are three main benefits to this model:
Localised response: In order to help the British cycling team win gold at the Olympics, Renishaw worked with them to produce a titanium alloy track bike crank that was designed through 48 hours of fast iteration in the London facility. In the energy industry, similar models are being imitated. For example, GE Renewable Energy has set up a 3D printing service centre in Brazil to supply blade maintenance parts for neighbouring wind farms in South America.
Streamlining the supply chain: ArcelorMittal and TheSteelPrinters collaborated to create the five outlet nozzle, which reduces the conventional 5-month manufacturing cycle to three weeks and boosts inventory turnover by eight times. The logistical costs of international operations are greatly decreased by this "zero inventory" production strategy.
Standardised technological requirements: In order to guarantee uniformity in product performance across several manufacturing bases, Yijia 3D and LEAP 71 have adopted the ISO/ASTM 52900 standard for quality control in their 200kN rocket thruster. Technical trade obstacles will be further removed by the International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO) through the development of a specialised standard for 3D printing energy equipment.
Energy Transition: Advancements in Equipment Driven by 3D Printing
Metal 3D printing is developing as the primary enabling technology for equipment innovation in cutting-edge industries like nuclear energy, hydrogen energy, and carbon capture.
Carbon Capture Device: A mechanical filter created in partnership between 3D Systems and AirCapture that achieves a 95% capture efficiency by increasing the carbon dioxide contact area by 20 times using a biomimetic tree-like flow channel design. Traditional manufacturing is unable to create this structure; only additive manufacturing can overcome the constraints of design flexibility.
Equipment for hydrogen: The honeycomb support structure of Platinum Power's titanium alloy hydrogen storage tank liner reduces weight by 35% while maintaining low temperature toughness of -253 °C, removing barriers to the commercialisation of hydrogen heavy-duty trucks.
Parts of nuclear energy: The Huashu The "Hualong One" includes a control rod drive mechanism made of cobalt-chromium alloy that breaks through foreign technology monopolies by reducing the stress concentration factor by 40% through topology optimisation and meeting the requirement of a 60-year service life.
Through a digital design printing verification loop, customised solutions that adapt to various energy scenarios can be quickly iterated, speeding up the transformation cycle of new technologies from the laboratory to industrialisation. These creative cases highlight the special value of metal 3D printing in the field of energy equipment.