3D printing certified for the oil and gas and marine industries

Representatives of participating organizations. Photo: 3dprintingmedia.network Two

-year joint research projects on the qualification of additive technologies in the gas, oil and marine sectors have completed.

Why it is important: with the introduction of certification of 3D-printed parts for use in the oil and gas and offshore industries, taking into account their importance and financial capacity, 3D printing will receive an unprecedented impetus for development and application, which will affect additive manufacturing as a whole.

Two biennial joint research projects aimed at qualifying additive technologies in the gas, oil and offshore industries have come to an end. These projects, which attracted 20 partners from the listed industries, culminated in a solemn event in Norway organized by DNV GL and Berenschot.



DNV GL is an international organization engaged in the certification of business management and quality control systems, research in these areas, risk assessment and consulting. Berenschot Groep BV is a Dutch consulting company.

The objective of both projects was to develop guidelines for certification of parts manufactured by laser fusion of powder materials (LPBF) and wire-arc additive manufacturing (WAAM), as well as the creation of an economic model for the gas, oil and marine sectors. To accomplish these tasks, partners from all parts of the supply chain, including operators, contractors and manufacturers, were involved.


Operators, contractors and manufacturers involved in the project. Image: 3dprintingmedia.network

Among the first category, BP, Equinor, Shell and Total were involved in the projects. The contractors were SLM Solutions , Siemens, Technip FMC, IMI Critical Engineering and Kongsberg. Among the manufacturers, the projects were supported by Ivaldi, Aidro Hydraulics, voestalpine, Additive Industries , Sandvik, Immensa Technology Labs, Quintus Technologies, Vallourec, HIPtec, Arcelor Mittal and the University of Strathclyde in Glasgow.

By working together and combining their knowledge in various fields, project participants have made significant progress in developing guidelines and economic models. These achievements were noted at the closing ceremony. Also, a new plan of action for the future was created: DNV GL launched two further joint projects with the aim of continuing research and developing a program for creating electronic storage.

Certification Guidelines

The aim of the first project was to draw up guidelines for the certification of parts created using 3D printing for the oil, gas and marine industries.
Senior Managing Consultant, Berenschot Groep BV Onno Ponfoort:

“Together with DNV-GL, we are creating a manual to ensure the production of high quality parts for oil and gas, focusing on spare parts. In the past, it was difficult for oil and gas companies, especially those operating under water, to achieve a full quality guarantee and to certify parts created using additive technologies. Without reliable certification, companies will not use any parts for underwater operations - the risks are too high. All components used must be certified. ”

The latest version of the guidelines, which DNV GL will take responsibility for, provides a framework to help manufacturers verify that metal products and parts manufactured using 3D printing technology meet specifications.

A series of tests have been conducted to create guidelines, including the manufacture of a crank disc for Kongsberg using laser powder alloy fusion technology. The production partner in the case study was the Italian company Aidro, which showed the ability to use additive technologies to create a component whose production using traditional methods would take 8-10 weeks in less than one week. The part was made of Inconel 718 alloy using the EOS M290 system.

Other case studies of laser fusion of powder materials include the production of Equinor impellers made from Inconel 625 (manufactured by SLM Solutions) and Ti-6Al-4V titanium alloy (manufactured by Additive industries) and Kongsberg propellers made from titanium by SLM Solutions. Case studies of additive-arc wire technology included the production of a Vallourec flushing head made of low-alloyed X90 grade steel, an Inconel sub for BP, a Kongsberg crank pin from S700 low-alloy steel, and an F22 steel alloy sub developed by Technip FMC and Total .


Kongsberg crankshaft manufactured by Aidro. Photo: 3dprintingmedia.network

These case studies helped partners evaluate the difference between traditional and additive technologies, from the very beginning of the value chain to the end.
Based on these examples, the partners drafted guidelines that allow dividing the details into three categories, depending on the consequences of their malfunction:

• First Class Additive Technology (AMC 1) for non-critical components;
• Second-class additive technology (AMC 2) for medium-sized components
• Class 3 additive technology (AMC 3) for critical components.

Depending on the class and the additive manufacturing technology used, various quality assurance methods are prescribed for different stages of the production process, including qualification tests of the assembly process, production tests and qualification tests of parts.

In accordance with the guidelines, all classes of parts must be produced through a process that has passed established qualification tests of the assembly process (BPQT). This qualification ensures that using a machine with a specific set of parameters helps to achieve a certain level of quality.

Production tests, in turn, are aimed at reproducibility. This qualification ensures that a certain process and a number of parameters will lead to the same build quality every time, and not just during the first build.

Finally, qualification tests of parts are carried out in cases where the critical value of the component requires it. The methodology of these tests differs, depending on the class and the specific type of additive technology used.

Business model

Various case studies by partners have also helped them build an understanding of the impact of additive technology certification on the business. Thanks to interconnected projects, partners have developed a set of measures to select parts, establish a supply chain and ensure economic efficiency. This set of measures is managed by the Dutch consulting firm Berenschot.

Overall, during the two-year joint research projects, significant progress has been made in qualifying additive industry methods for use in the demanding gas, oil and marine sectors.

Aidro, one of the partners, provided the following comment:

“The close relationship between the two projects ensured the maximum exchange of knowledge and experience between project members, research institutes, designers, manufacturers, certification bodies and end customers.”

Completed and future projects will become integral to the implementation of additive technologies in the gas, oil and offshore industries.

For more up-to-date news on additive manufacturing, check out the Top 3D Shop blog .