Guidelines for increasing application of 3D Metal Printing- a case study at Equinor ASA

Abstract

The world is evolving towards automation at a rapid rate. With this, there are lot of gaps that need to be filled as we switch from conventional methodology of doing things to the adaptation of newer automated technology. One of those many news aspects is Additive Manufacturing, also known as 3D printing. 3D Printing has changed significantly over the years, from it being used for making prototypes for the designs, to its being used for making actual functional parts. Having the potential to revolutionize the manufacturing industry in many different aspects, it has become very important for every industry to penetrate the technology in their mainstream methodology of doing things. The aim of this thesis is to takes all of the factors into account and develop suitable guidelines for increasing application of 3D Metal Printing. The project is done in collaboration with Equinor ASA, where in a case study was performed on a standard part provided with them. The methodology of conducting the study focuses on realizing the received part, that is manufactured using conventional technique, to be produced using 3D printing technology. The first part of the thesis consists of a thorough literature survey about the 3D printing technology and its market. The survey is followed by the experimentation phase which involves reverse engineering, redesigning, analysis, simulation, and cost estimation with a comparison study on each. During this course of realization, guidelines with suitable justification are prepared. Furthermore, the challenges and opportunities offered by the additive manufacturing technology are also discussed. This will also provide a direction in order to integrate additive manufacturing technique in the conventional manufacturing technology.