Energy Solutions

How 3D Printing Empowers the Energy Sector

  • |  Design to physical part in 24 Hours
  • |  Cut costs by up to 90% compared to machining & simplify assemblies
  • |  Localized production minimizes logistics barriers.
Talk To Our Experts
DMLS 3d printed turbine part

Our cutting-edge 3D Printing revolutionizes component production with rapid prototyping, customized designs, and streamlined supply chains, leading to significant cost savings, efficiency improvements, and enhanced sustainability in the energy sector

3D printing plays a pivotal role in reshaping and streamlining supply chains within the energy sector. By transitioning from multi-step, geographically dispersed manufacturing processes to more direct and localized production methods, 3D printing minimizes dependencies on complex global supply networks. This results in reduced transportation needs, lower storage costs, and decreased lead times. By essentially converting raw materials directly into finished products, the energy sector can respond faster to demands, mitigate potential disruptions, and realize significant operational efficiencies, fostering a more resilient and adaptive supply chain framework.

Image

Next Day Rapid Prototypes

Forge Labs offers rapid protoyping prototyping services as quick as  1-day enabling companies to swiftly test and refine innovative solutions, accelerating R&D processes. This rapid prototyping leads to quicker deployment of efficient energy technologies, reducing both time and costs associated with traditional development methods.

Get an instant online quote

Metal 3D Printing Explained

Low Volume Production Runs

3D printing is particularly well-suited for producing small quantities specialized components efficiently and cost-effectively, catering to unique requirements or niche applications. This adaptability ensures energy companies can implement innovations faster and reduce inventory overheads.

 

Explore our industrial technology

Image

Canadian Energy Manufacturing

Localized Canadian manufacturing offers shortened lead times, reduced shipping costs, and enhanced communication. Forge Labs local presence ensures quicker responsiveness to demands, fosters better collaboration, and supports the Canadian economy by retaining production within the country.

 

See our manufacturing network

How to Work With Us

Our Digital Manufacturing Process

On-Demand digital manufacturing greatly enhances the energy sector's agility allwing for the swift transition from design concepts to tangible prototypes, facilitating immediate testing and adjustments. Forge Labs instant online manufacturing platform supports on-demand production, minimizing inventory costs and enabling bespoke solutions without the need for extensive retooling. This approach, combined with decentralized manufacturing capabilities and reduced setup times, ensures faster, more efficient, and cost-effective delivery of energy solutions.

Image
Image
Image
Image

Upload your CAD file

Securely upload your CAD file to our online quoting platform. Get instant quotes or work with our 3D printing experts to ensure the best material for your project.
 

Get an Instant Quote

Configure your material specifications, quantities & lead time that suits your schedule and needs. When ready, place your order by credit card or purchase order.
 

Start Manufacturing

Manufacturing begins at your nearest production hub. Once complete, quality engineers inspect every part and approve it for delivery.
 

Delivery Next Day

We ship direct to you on next day to every major city across Canada. Choose to pickup locally at one of our manufacturing hubs in select locations.
Additive Manufacturing

Solutions for The Energy Sector


High Precision Rapid Prototypes

Rapid prototyping is one of 3D printing's standout benefits, offering a transformative advantage for the energy sector's research and development endeavors. With 3D printing, innovators can swiftly turn conceptual designs into tangible prototypes, allowing for real-world testing and immediate iterative refinements. This expedites the evolution of new energy technologies, from novel solar panel designs to efficient battery storage systems. By drastically reducing the time and resources traditionally spent on prototyping, 3D printing accelerates the pace of innovation, ensuring quicker deployment of advanced energy solutions to the market.

high precision metal 3d printing
Image

Repair & Maintenance

3D printing can be used to quickly manufacture a replacement, especially for parts that are out of production or rare. This is particularly relevant for older energy infrastructure where sourcing spare parts can be a challenge thereby reducing downtime for energy facilities, ensuring uninterrupted energy production and minimizing losses. Instead of maintaining physical inventories of spare parts, energy companies can maintain a digital inventory. When a part is needed, the corresponding 3D model can be retrieved and printed. Canada's oil and gas industry, particularly in Alberta, has relied heavily on 3D printing to produce replacement parts on-site, reducing downtime due to equipment failure or maintenance. This is especially valuable in remote drilling and extraction sites where shipping parts can be time-consuming and expensive. 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.


Complex Geometries & Lightweighing

3D printing excels at producing intricate designs unattainable by traditional manufacturing methods. In the energy sector, this capability enables the creation of components with advanced geometries that optimize performance, such as turbine blades with internal channels for improved aerodynamics or heat dissipation. 3D printing can fabricate lightweight structures using lattice or honeycomb designs that maintain structural integrity while reducing material use. This lightweighting is crucial for sectors like transportation, where reduced component weight can lead to significant energy savings and efficiency improvements, thereby directly impacting the operational efficiency and environmental footprint of energy systems.

lightweight metal 3D printed part
3D printed metal assembly

Supply Chain Simplification

Designers can now produce parts or products precisely when and where they are needed, eliminating the necessity for maintaining large inventories and long, complex supply chains. This transformation brings several advantages, such as reduced storage costs, lower risk of overproduction and waste, and the ability to respond rapidly to changes in demand or design modifications. Direct digital manufacturing using Forge Labs allows manufacturing to be localized reducing the environmental impact associated with long-distance transportation of goods. This on-demand production not only enhances supply chain efficiency but also allows for greater flexibility in meeting customer demands, making it a valuable solution for industrial designers and businesses aiming to streamline their operations and reduce resource consumption. 

 

 
Additive Manufacturing

Case Studies in Energy

3D Printing the new Tim Horton's Lid

How 3D Printing Revolutionized Prototyping

3D printed prototypes are essential for gathering feedback, securing early funding, and product testing. They allow for early corrections and design validation in today's competitive landscape.

Read Case Study
3D Printing Drill enclosures

Power Tool Prototypes with FDM

Robbox used 3D printing to quickly and cost-effectively iterate on their smart power tools, avoiding expensive prototypes and reducing design time and risk.

Read Case Study

Frequently Asked Questions