______________________________________________________________________________________________________ 3D Printing
But it ’ s the prospect of on-demand production that drives most companies to invest in 3D printing . Instead of having a huge physical warehouse , companies can store all the inventory , including the information about part production , in a digital warehouse . When a part breaks , they can order it to be printed or , if they have a machine on-site , they can print it on demand . This shortens lead times , eliminates supply chain stress , and brings manufacturing closer to where parts are needed .
Overall , additive manufacturing offers many ways to reduce costs throughout the supply chain . Additively manufactured parts can often be made in less time and with less labor , both of which have a direct impact on the cost per part . Consider the difference in cost between an assembly that is made from a dozen or more machined parts that must be produced separately and then put together - and a printed part that consolidates all these elements into one that can be printed in one run , with no need for further assembly .
Widening adoption
Interest in additive manufacturing is growing in the global energy sector , but the applications have not yet reached their full potential . Much of the delay in adoption can be attributed to common misconceptions about the technology , namely that it is too complex to implement consistently .
However , this complexity is no longer a challenge - thanks to software . Oqton Manufacturing OS simplifies workflow planning , tracking and quality control .
Of course , the energy industry operates in a heavily regulated environment and companies who want to leverage 3D printing must comply with demanding requirements . The American Petroleum Institute ( API ) has developed two standards for 3D printing in different materials . API Standard 20S ( for metals ) and API Standard 20T ( for polymers ) establish basic requirements and process controls for additive manufacturing that delivers parts and components for the oil and gas industry .
Additive manufacturing software works very well with such standards because the requirements can be built into the workflows
manufacturers use to manage production . The results of each build are recorded with full traceability to demonstrate qualification at any time .
Oqton achieved an important milestone in the path to using 3D printing for serial production . Together with energy leader Baker Hughes , the company developed an end-to-end AM workflow for the serial production of a Variable Resistance Trim ( VRT ) component . Built on a fully digital framework , the solution includes simulation , realtime process monitoring , anomaly analysis , and data preparation automation .
The future of oil & gas
3D printing allows oil & gas companies to innovate faster , make better parts , store parts digitally instead of physically , save money , reduce waste and lower emissions . The key question to ask is not how additive manufacturing will transform the global energy sector , but when .
▼ 3D-printed VRT component
Companies that wait too long to begin integrating these tools , software and techniques run the risk of not only losing a competitive advantage but missing out on opportunities to reduce total emissions sooner rather than later . ■
For more information , visit oqton . com
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