MACHINING & MACHINERY CUTTING-EDGE TECHNOLOGY
SULZER
Sulzer creates a hybrid additive manufacturing process to minimize lead time on components for Chevron
Companies involved in oil and gas production hold parts inventories to minimize downtime , especially when process-critical assets are involved . With so much capital invested in parts , any strategy that would allow this to be reduced without compromising reliability and productivity warrants in-depth examination . The ability to create complex components , such as pump impellers , within just a few days , has the potential to cut inventory costs significantly .
Pumping systems are central to moving raw materials as well as the finished product , and many processes in between . So standby pumps are retained as well as spare parts , such as impellers . Now , there is an opportunity to reduce this stockholding . Manufacturing technology has taken a significant step forward following the completion of validation and trial part manufacture . The technology incorporates laser metal deposition and precision machining . Additive Manufacturing ( AM ) using this technology can create finished parts in one machine , significantly reducing lead times .
DEVELOPING TECHNOLOGY Chevron is a leader in the energy industry and a strategic partner of Sulzer . Sulzer is a leader in manufacturing processes for rotating equipment , including pumps , and is developing new additive technology . As such , Chevron and Sulzer were interested in developing their partnership so as to reduce parts inventory and improve flexibility .
Back in the 1990s , Sulzer played an important role in creating laser metal deposition technology . Building on this background the company has constantly been working to develop and implement new additive manufacturing techniques for key applications .
Today , the company has developed and implemented additive manufacturing technology to produce new pump impellers of the highest quality , without the need for tooling . The project offers Chevron the potential to reduce lead times for new parts without compromising on quality .
GATHERING EXPERTISE For the past two years , Sulzer and Chevron have established a joint project . The collaboration also involves other partners such as suppliers of equipment for the manufacturing cell , powder suppliers , audit and certification bodies .
Charles Soothill , Head of Technology for Rotating Equipment Services for Sulzer explains : “ Together , the teams have worked to combine the capabilities of 5-axis CNC milling and laser metal deposition equipment to create this hybrid additive manufacturing process . This combination of additive and subtractive elements enables the new process to be quicker because setups are avoided .”
SIMPLIFYING COMPLEX GEOMETRIES Starting with a piece of stock material of the required grade and quality loaded into the hybrid machine tool , it is possible to machine the most complex geometries of the eye of the impeller . Material is then added and finish-machined while remaining in the same cell . This process enables Sulzer to create finished machined quality on far more complex components than would normally be possible with a conventional machine tool .
In addition to all the standard cutting tools that are stored in the tool changer , there is also the laser metal deposition head , which can be used to build up material on the workpiece , or core . The machine can quickly change between the milling tools and the laser head , a process that would normally require the component to be repositioned in a separate machine .
The additive technology has also required the development of new processes , using a fine powder , 50 to 100 µ m , and a laser . The powder is melted by the laser and deposited on the surface of the stock material held in the hybrid machine tool .
HYBRID IMPELLER MANUFACTURING Sulzer has been a pioneer in developing technology for pumps and other rotating machinery for more than 100 years . Now , the company is using this latest development to manufacture precision parts , such as impellers .
The cutting-edge laser metal deposition head
Pump impellers are complex components to manufacture , the internal geometry is too complicated to be created by a conventional milling machine .
58 PECM Issue 49