Applications of Additive Manufacturing for Norwegian Oil and Gas Industries

Abstract

The additive manufacturing or 3D printing (3DP) technologies have undergone exponential expansion, particularly in the previous couple of decades. Additive manufacturing technologies have paved the way for easy component manufacturing in large-scale and high-performance businesses. The introduction of desktop 3D printers has established 3DP as a reliable technique for generating prototypes and direct parts from CAD files. This technology is employed in an industrial setting for a range of purposes, including the invention and manufacture of customized and task-specific tools. This thesis looks at the benefits and drawbacks of deploying a 3D printer on an offshore facility to encourage on-site part manufacture, save operating costs, and reduce downtime. The thesis proposes ways for speeding and simplifying the creation of customized products. The approaches utilized were aimed to discover flaws and opportunities in offshore platforms' 3D printing processes. It also includes a comparative examination of production procedures, which will aid in decision-making. Furthermore, the technical structure of the proposed method would outline a path for developing prototype designs and tools to address identified difficulties. The proposed ideas and produced technologies could have a positive impact on the oil and gas industries' operations. The thesis also goes over the equipment needed for post-processing printed parts, as well as their availability on offshore platforms. The reliability issues associated with 3D printed parts are also addressed, which will improve RAMS analysis of printed parts.