DNV GL seeks to address the low level of additive manufacturing (AM) adoption in the oil and gas, offshore 
Source: DNV GLand marine (O&M) sector. The global quality assurance and risk management company plans to provide the industry with technical standards and guidelines for qualifying and certifying AM equipment, processes, products, materials and personnel.
These goals are to be achieved by establishment of a Global Additive Manufacturing Centre of Excellence in Singapore, which will focus on developing competence including qualification, certification and training for AM.
The facility aims to become DNV GL’s global competence and service delivery center for assurance and advisory services in 3D printing and allied technologies for O&M industries, and has the potential to enhance Singapore’s vision to be positioned as a world leader in this technology and be recognized as an integrated global additive manufacturing hub.
DNV GL will invest in competence development and will be working with local research institutes and industry partners through joint collaborations to advance the use of AM. The group has been investigating the opportunities and challenges posed by AM in the O&M sector since 2014. In November last year, DNV GL published the first guidelines for the use of AM in the maritime and oil and gas industries, creating a clear pathway and systematic processes to assess every parameter that will impact upon the final products – from the raw material used, technology maturity, manufacturing procedure, data transfer, to the actual printing and post processing.
Through the newly established center, DNV GL is running the recently announced collaboration with Sembcorp Marine, SIMTech and NAMIC to develop and certify laser aided additive manufacturing technology in fabricating large-scale structures for new-build vessels in Singapore. DNV GL is also working with Aurora Labs from Australia to develop an AM certification standard that will cover its whole value chain from powders to parts, certifying the technical performance of their technology, and independently endorsing their processes and products. A joint industry project is also underway aiming at defining clear requirements for parts manufactured by additive manufacturing.
