LRQA is leading on a Joint Industry Project (JIP), co-funded by the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) under the Maritime Innovation and Technology Fund, to drive digitalisation and the adoption of 3D printing in the maritime sector.
As one of 11 initiatives being delivered thanks to MPA’s $1.625 million funding programme, the JIP will involve the production of ship parts using 3D printing – or Additive Manufacturing (AM) – which will be fitted and trialled on ocean-going vessels from project partner and ship owner/operator, Neptune Pacific Lines.
The JIP consortium also include 3D Metalforge (3DMF), which will be responsible for manufacturing as well as undertaking reverse engineering, build optimisation, post processing and design works. 3DMF together with partners Singapore Polytechnic* - a local institute of higher learning (IHL), Professional Testing Services (PTS) and Kompressorenbau Bannewitz GmbH (KBB) will be working closely leveraging each one's area of expertise to produce a high performance AM part.
“Additive manufacturing is a game-changer and disruptor for the supply of complex spare parts to the maritime sector, enabling cost-effective manufacturing solutions and just in time deliveries. We are excited to be part of this consortium and look forward to getting our parts trialled on-board” said Matthew Waterhouse, 3D Metalforge's Founder and CEO.
“As a key global transhipment hub and port, Singapore must continue to drive innovation in the maritime industry through the adoption of digitalisation and new technologies. By collaborating with our consortium partners, we will pool our leading knowledge and capabilities in additive manufacturing materials to demonstrate its feasibility for commercial adoption and groom more skilled Singaporean talents for the emerging additive manufacturing industry. This meaningful partnership enables us to further strengthen Singapore’s position as an innovation hub for 3D printing in the region,” said David Chai, Director, Department for Technology, Innovation and Enterprise, Singapore Polytechnic.
Jasmine Chen, LRQA's Head of Performance and Customer Experience, Inspection Services said: “This JIP aims to demonstrate the technological and commercial readiness of AM for marine applications, through the production of an auxiliary engine turbocharger nozzle ring, which will be printed, classed, and placed on board an SRS-flagged ship for test-bedding over a period of six months. The project will showcase the existing maturity of the AM ecosystem in Singapore, across the entire supply chain from materials to part fabrication, testing, certification and installation.”
“Our aim is to show how manufacturing parts using AM technologies can reduce both lead time and costs with greater flexibility, as well as improve performance and increase service life. By using AM, we can assess the feasibility of reverse-engineering to address part obsolescence, while shifting distributed supply chain and storage to a digital warehousing solution with local print-on-demand for replacement parts.”
Click here to learn more about LRQA's AM capabilties.
*Singapore Polytechnic offers an online course: Operationalising Additive Mfg: Comprehensive overview.