Valve World Magazine September 2022 | Page 41

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Meeting place

Valve World Expo & Conference 2022

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Additive Manufacturing

Valve World Conference 2022 will feature a technical session on additive manufacturing , focusing on the general benefits and giving a platform to some key results from recent studies . Over these next pages , you can find an overview of what to expect from this session hosted on 29 November at 13:30 .

Additive manufacturing of parts and components offers numerous opportunities for the process industries , such as leaner and more sustainable supply chains , reduced lead times , and innovative alternatives for existing equipment design and manufacture . Using Computer Aided Design ( CAD ) software , new and highly efficient geometries can be designed in a way that is led by the function of the part . This is opposed to traditional manufacturing processes which see material removed from a solid bulk ; instead , AM methods layer a material from the base up . One of the most typical methods is known as Fused Deposition Modelling ( FDM ) which uses an extruder to deposit a thermoplastic layer by layer which then solidifies . The majority of AM valves , however , are made from metal for which the main AM technologies are : laser powder bed fusion , binder jetting , direct metal deposition , and wire arc additive manufacturing ( WAAM ). For valves in particular , the technology is now being embraced as a way to tackle challenges with spare parts and component supply , design and materials , and waste generation .

Materials
The first presentation demonstrates how the interest in additively manufactured parts has grown in the oil and gas industry thanks to the
highly customizable features of the technology and the offer of a more streamlined supply chain . A further attraction is that several specifications are available to qualify polymeric materials for oil and gas applications , a familiar material with historical use in the industry . Those specifications are API 6A , ISO 23936 and NORSOK M-710 . Presenters from Valland SpA have found that , while polymers do not cover as broad a range of applications as metal , advanced 3D printable

This
is much more than a new manufacturing process , it ’ s a new way of thinking and making things .
polymers have been largely optimised to be manufactured on small- and large-scale systems . At the same time , due to their limited cost and ease of fabrication compared to their metal counterparts , additively manufactured soft components stand as promising candidates to empower the adoption of 3D printing in well-established industries . In particular , the Valland team designed and manufactured an innovative series of soft gaskets to replace conventional seals for pressure valves , as a shift away from complex multi-material

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