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3D Printing Applications In The Oil & Gas Industry
Chemically and heat resistant parts parts built in days in a variety of metals, plastics and resins capable for end-use in oil & gas applications.
3D Printing In The Oil & Gas Industry
- Complex metal parts built in days
- Chemically resistant plastics, metals & resins
- FST ratings & UL94 compliant materials
- Just-in-time production runs
Reduced Part Costs
Parts produced when required in only a few days to minimize downtime of broken equipment
Just-in-Time Manufacturing
Reduce warehousing and transportation with customized, low volume production runs delivered exactly when required.
Improved Innovation
Enable more complex designs, consolidate complex assemblies and built parts with multiple material properties
How 3D Printing is Revolutionizing Oil & Gas Part Manufacturing
Oil & Gas has been using 3D printing for rapid prototyping applications for decades in order to trial new concepts quickly and inexpensively. In recent years the confidence of using 3D printed metals and plastics in end use applications has risen sharply. General Electric, Chevron, Shell and a number of other industry leaders have recently entered into widespread production of 3D-printed components. These innovations have enabled 3D printing to build cheaper spare parts, reduce warehousing and enable production of more efficient components capable of being used in even the harshest environments. Geometries otherwise impossible to manufacture can now be easily built thereby enabling designers to better optimize parts, simplify components and reduce assembly time.
Spare Part Manufacturing
Reduce Warehousing & Inventory Holding Costs
Traditional repair processes typically rely on CNC milling, specialized manual labor, or a combination of both, whereas with 3D printing these parts can be produced in a fraction of the time and at much lower costs. 3D Printing unlocks just-time-manufacturing runs using high performance 3D printed materials capable of being used to create replacement parts suitable for even the harshest environments in Oil & Gas. Metal 3D printing has dramatically reduces machining costs and turnaround times of critical oil and gas components including hydraulic blocks, tool slips & pistons, downhole components, water bushings, clamps, heat exchanger tubes and much more.
Rapid Prototypes
Accurate Prototypes for Form, Fit & Function Testing
Since its introduction in the late 1980's 3D printing has been a valuable tool in creating quick turn prototypes. The technology has progressed even further today with new innovations allowing for even bigger parts built in high performance materials that are both chemically and heat resistant. This allows oil & gas prototypes to be used not only just for fit & form testing but also functional testing as well enabling proactive changes allowing for for cleaner, more cost effective and vastly accelerated product development cycles. Prototypes can be built directly from CAD data in as few as 1-4 business days, a time savings that allows for additional testing, improved designs, and reduced risks before tool investment.
Reduced Carbon Footprint
Modernized Manufacturing
Oil and Gas companies are pushing further towards modernization and embracing 3D printing for its ability to reduce transportation costs, warehousing and help extend the live of existing equipment. 3D printing allows oil majors to extend the safe and efficient operation of ageing assets and reduce the lifecycle cost of equipment. The ability to simply replace broken components and extending the longevity of equipment, rather than replace the entire assembly, results in significant cost savings along with much less environmental waste.
3D Printing is Revolutionizing Oil & Gas Part Manufacturing
Oil & Gas has been using 3D printing for rapid prototyping applications for decades in order to trial new concepts quickly and inexpensively. However confidence in end-use applications have risen significantly in recent years. General Electric, Chevron, Shell and a number of other industry leaders have recently entered into widespread production of 3D-printed components. These innovations have enabled 3D printing to build cheaper spare parts, reduce warehousing and enable production of more efficient components capable of use in harshest environments. Geometries otherwise impossible to manufacture using any other way can now be built, enabler designers to better optimize parts, simplify components and reduce assembly time.
Reduced Spare Part Manufacturing Costs
Functional metal and thermoplastic parts allow the end-use production of parts with excellent efficiency and speed even at low volumes.
Just-in-Time Manufacturing
Build customized, low volume parts when you need them. Additive manufacturing enables just-in-time parts, reducing transportation and warehousing costs.
Improved Innovation
The potential for technological innovation is greatly increased when utilizing 3D printing allowing for more complex designs, and materials such as carbon fiber reinforced parts.
Reduced Carbon Footprint
Manufacturing Oil & gas parts on demand using 3D printing greatly wasted material use, reduces transportation costs.
Reduced Warehousing of Spare Parts
Just-in-Time Manufacturing
Traditional repair processes typically rely on CNC milling, specialized manual labor, or a combination of both whereas with 3D printing these parts can be produced in a fraction of the time and at much lower costs. High performance 3D printed materials are used as replacement parts in the most demanding and harshest environments in Oil & Gas. Metal 3D printing has dramatically reduces machining costs and turnaround times of critical oil and gas components including hydraulic blocks, tool slips & pistons, downhole components, water bushings, clamps, heat exchanger tubes and much more.
Oil & Gas Rapid Prototypes
Accelerated Product Innovation
Since its introduction in the late 1980's 3D printing has been a valuable tool in creating quick turn prototypes. The technology has progressed even further today with new innovations allowing for even bigger parts built in high performance materials that are both chemically and heat resistant. This allows oil & gas prototypes to be used not only just for fit & form testing but also functional testing as well enabling proactive changes allowing for for cleaner, more cost effective and vastly accelerated product development cycles. Prototypes can be built directly from CAD data in as few as 1-4 business days, a time savings that allows for additional testing, improved designs, and reduced risks before tool investment.
Lowered Carbon Footprints
Improving Sustainability in the Oil & Gas Sector
Oil and Gas companies are pushing further towards modernization and embracing 3D printing for its ability to reduce transportation costs, warehousing and help extend the live of existing equipment. 3D printing allows oil majors to extend the safe and efficient operation of ageing assets and reduce the lifecycle cost of equipment. The ability to simply replace broken components and extending the longevity of equipment, rather than replace the entire assembly, results in significant cost savings along with much less environmental waste.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, we offer an in-house 3D modelling team that can assist with 2D translation as well as 3D scanning & reverse engineering services.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, we offer an in-house 3D modelling team that can assist with 2D translation as well as 3D scanning & reverse engineering services.
If you’d like to learn more or request a quote, don’t hesitate to reach out to us at sales@forgelabs.ca or 1-877-329-9131.
