Energy
Validation of a New Source of Supply for Energy
The energy sector is known for efficiency and reliability. We trust in a consistent, uninterrupted pipeline of energy from source to outlet. To deliver this, each section of the chain needs to work consistently. In today’s supply chain restricted economy, lead times have risen to 6-18 months for some critical parts. This causes the industry to stockpile spare parts trapping working capital that could be fueling new discoveries.
Today, companies are qualifying and installing metal AM parts in the field vetting a global supply chain ‘Digital Inventory’ of AM parts. With new solutions in metal AM, the supply chain delays are being solved. Large format printers like the Sapphire XC (600mm diameter build plate), energy specific alloys (Stainless Steel, Aluminum, Titanium, etc.), powerful solutions that unlock difficult geometries, and new standards have reached the industry. Here are a few examples:
Metal AM Energy Applications
Impellers
Traditional manufacturing techniques for impellers can be expensive and time consuming. With metal AM, the design and production of impellers becomes a streamlined process combining multiple parts into a single assembly and reducing the need for molds and tooling. See: RMS’ groundbreaking 483 mm Inconel® 718 shrouded impeller, with 2-degree shroud.
Flow Control
Velo3D’s Sapphire printers lead the industry in terms of surface finish on flow channels. Furthermore, engineers have validated the repeatability of these channels across a global network of contract manufacturers. Through our innovative Golden Print File, engineers can digitally send a comprehensive, secure, and locked file of print instructions to any Velo3D printer worldwide and print parts with specified material properties and geometric accuracy.
Rotors and Stators
With printing capabilities down to virtually zero degrees, the low angle blades of rotors and stators can be precisely manufactured on a Sapphire. Plus, by printing flat to the build plate these parts balance and pass spin tests – in the 10s of thousands of RPM – with minimal material removal and have been shown to outperform parts CNC machined from forged metal.
Materials
The materials available for printing open the market for applications from cryogenic pumping to supercritical CO2. Aluminum, Titanium, Nickel based super alloys, and stainless steels are all now available. And these solutions translate to our large-format Sapphire XC solution as well (600 mm diameter x 1000 mm height).
E-Book: Power Plants to Pipelines: Metal AM’s Role in Energy Production
Velo3D’s Fully Integrated AM Solution for Energy Applications
With a cylindrical 600 mm diameter x 1000 mm z-height build volume, the Sapphire XC 1MZ is the largest printer available from a leading laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) supplier and offers a powerful, scalable path to manufacturing.
Available in:
Eight 1kW lasers
- Sapphire XC — 600 mm Ø x 550 mm z
- Sapphire XC 1MZ — 600 mm Ø x 1000 mm z
Two 1kW lasers
- Sapphire — 315 mm Ø x 400 mm z
- Sapphire 1MZ — 315 mm Ø x 1000 mm z
Flow Print Preparation Software
Flow prescribes the manufacturing process to Sapphire printers and eliminates the need for feature-specific parameter sets thanks to its in-depth process library saving months of development and reducing the need for specialized technicians.
Assure Quality Control Software
Assure provides visibility into every layer of a part’s build through real-time, ~1000-sensor, physics-based excursion detection algorithms and provides unprecedented traceability of machine health, part integrity, and build reporting.
Sapphire Family of Printers
State-of-the-art LPBF printers capable of printing today’s most advanced geometries.
Intelligent Fusion
The underlying manufacturing process that binds and facilitates all aspects of the Velo3D solution for precision control of the entire print.
Velo3D Manufacturing Support
Velo3D is committed to providing every customer with five-star support. This includes comprehensive phone, email, and in-person assistance when required included with all systems.
- Software license updates, process updates
- Extended service agreement, 1-year parts and labor
- Preventative Maintenance (parts & labor for quarterly maintenance)
In addition, our expert Application Engineers mentor, and assist, our customers through the entire Velo3D AM manufacturing process helping you get the complex part you need printed. That means shepherding the concept and design, development, and manufacturing phases to ensure the best project outcomes.
Pre-Qualified Materials for Energy
Velo3D offers a dynamic and evolving library of trusted materials for both upstream and downstream energy applications.
Available Today:
- Aheadd® CP1
- Aluminum F357
- Copper C18150
- Copper GRCop-42
- forAM® Haynes® 282®1
- Hastelloy® X
- Hastelloy® C22®
- Haynes® 214
- Inconel® 625
- Inconel® 718
- Steel M300
- Scalmalloy
- Stainless 415
- Ti 6AI-4V
Coming Soon:
Many more being evaluated each year.
1. Powder is produced by Höganäs under License from Haynes International, Inc.
Let’s Work Together
Leverage our complimentary consultation services and work with our technical experts to learn if our solution is right for you.
Resources
Enhancing Natural Gas Production: Upwing Drills into Additive Manufacturing
Case Study: 500 mm & Beyond: Lessons Learned From Printing ‘Super-Sized’ Rotational Parts
