End-user interview
Valve World sat down with Brede Laerum , Head of Equinor ’ s AM Centre of Excellence . Brede , electrical / electronic engineer by education , has been working for the Norwegian energy company for 25 years in various capacities . “ I have had the privilege to work in different roles , as an engineer and as a manager . Whether as a Technical Department Head , an oil platform manager or recently in digitalisation / additive manufacturing , I have gained a good understanding of how our company has evolved over the past quarter of a century .” Brede also discloses that his current domain has been the most challenging so far , but we will get to that later in the interview . First of all , how did he get involved in digitalisation / AM within Equinor ? “ I noticed the great potential AM could have in Equinor . I wanted to get involved as these technologies hold great potential but also very complex , which poses challenges ( organisational , technological ) for our organisation .”
Foundation
Brede explains that Equinor is not exactly a novice in additive manufacturing . Equinor ’ s R & D department had already conducted research ( materials technology ) to assess the reliability / safety of AM-components . However , the company did not have any experience yet regarding the implementation of these parts in the field . “ It became clear to me from the research results that this technology is ready to be rolled out . However , for AM to work properly for any organisation , we need to lay the foundation , namely the creation of a Digital Inventory platform . In May of 2022 , a joint project ( JIP ) with Fieldmade ( Norwegian startup ), Siemens Energy and Total Energies ,
Brede Laerum , Head of Equinor ’ s AM Centre of Excellence . Photo : Equinor
resulted in the launch of a Digital Inventory Platform . This platform is already operational . We are also connected with our back-office systems ( SAP etc .) to this platform .” Brede says that Equinor ’ s platforms Johan Sverdrup and Johan Castberg have been involved in building the DIP . It is no surprise that offshore locations were involved as these remote locations would benefit the most from digitalized supply chains , coupled with additive manufacturing .
A 3D-printed nylon PA11 valve hand-wheel produced by Norwegian start-up Korall Engineering . Photo : Equinor
Huge potential
When asked about the potential of additive manufacturing and digitalisation for the energy sector , Brede states that the implications will be profound . “ This technology holds great potential and will enable the energy sector to realize several objectives . First of all , we will significantly reduce our physical inventories , in the case of Equinor we aim to digitalize half of our inventory in 2032 . This means cost reduction and a more effective use of spare parts , switching to on demand and just in time production . The latter brings me to another bonus : supply chain performance . By bringing production closer to the place where it is needed , we can drastically reduce lead times , from 3 to 6 months down to 4 weeks . We also would be able to avoid supply chain disruptions that have become apparent the last couple of years , see the Evergreen getting stuck in the Suez canal or the pandemic . Reducing our CO2 footprint , decreasing our inventories and reducing transport time / cost is also a consideration . Finally , the design freedom AM brings to the table is also a benefit as it facilitates design optimisation to improve the functionalities ( for example noise reduction ) of certain components .”
Distribution of value
Brede explains that the technology behind the DIP has been designed to facilitate easy access and connection from end-users , OEMs and suppliers . He states that the platform will be open for other end-users . However , he also expects that other , similar platforms will be established . “ The value of these platforms is determined by the quantity and quality of data uploaded . For example , Facebook in its infancy did not hold a lot of value . However , as Facebook attracted billions of users , its value shot through the roof . DIPs are no exception to this rule .” According to Brede , value distribution is a challenge of the Digital Inventory . As he explains , Equinor holds 3 billion euros worth of spare parts / equipment in its warehouses . Roughly 80 per cent will never be used , Brede says . For Equinor , holding on to this inventory is costly : the company has already paid for it π www . valve-world . net Valve World August 2022
23