A Game-Changer for Shipbuilding
The maritime industry is undergoing a technological transformation, and at the forefront of this change is Wire Additive Manufacturing (WAM®). Using an electric arc to melt and deposit metal wire, layer by layer, to create complex structures can revolutionise how ships are designed, manufactured, and repaired.
With approximately 90 per cent of goods globally transported by the shipping industry, the industry is growing steadily. The demand for new ship designs and construction and the need to extend the life expectancy of these assets is high. Rapid changes and globalisation have seen the shipbuilding industry shift gears, requiring high-quality production while lowering manufacturing and operational costs.
Reduced Weight – Reduced Lead Times
WAM® and ARCEMY® is uniquely poised to reduce lead time for exotic materials and, in some cases, reduce weight. Weight reduction is often a by-product of the Design for Additive Manufacturing (DfAM) process. It is an iterative process whereby the naval architect (or design engineer) reviews the design of a part based on performance requirements, feeds back into the design material test data results (specific to WAM® process parameters) and undertakes Finite Element Analysis (FEA) to ensure that the part is optimally designed to reduce part weakness points.
Leveraging the material data can result in design changes, such as thinner walls or transitioning from a three-part design to a two or mono design to eliminate failure from dissimilar metal use.
In some scenarios, such as obsolete nickel alloy components for sustainment programs, WAM® provides significant lead time savings, offering an alternative manufacturing method that takes weeks or months instead of years.
Part Optimisation and Obsolescence
For obsolete parts, WAM® is the perfect alternative to source a replacement. The DfAM process combined with WAMSoft® technology enables ARCEMY® to optimise and transform obsolete parts in-house.
AML3D’s WAMSoft® includes splicing and digital simulation, ensuring your part is optimally enhanced. AML3D can work with you and specific part requirements, ensuring your replacement part needs are met and manufactured in compliance with Global Standards as an element of AML3D’s proof of concept part program.
In high-stress and hostile environments, wear on parts is inevitable. In scenarios where parts are wearing excessively, AML3D can review the component’s design and guide how to improve it.
With the extensive range of wire stock available, we can select an alloy that can provide higher values for YS & UTS, providing superior mechanical properties than traditional parts. With WAM®, some materials will wear slower, culminating in fewer operational disruptions due to failures, less inventory, and higher efficiencies.
Certified technology, certifiable parts
Certification and accreditation reduces the risk of error, ensures quality, enhances safety, and sets the expectations for quality and performance.
Parts manufactured using WAM® and ARCEMY® are compliant with the globally accepted American Welding Society. Under the criticality classifications of Class A, B and C, ARCEMY® can manufacture to the Standard Specification for Shipbuilding under Lloyd’s Register and DNV guidance notes for metal additive manufacturing and more specific part or class certification and validation requirements.
Additionally, Lloyd’s Register and DNV facilitate facility (approval of manufacturer) and material certifications, which makes class certification possible. Without these specific certifications, validation and certification of WAM® manufactured products would not be possible; end-use parts must be manufactured to global standards and be fit for commercial use.
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Industry Case Studies
AML3D WAM® Propeller
Demonstrating ARCEMY® and Wire Additive Manufacturing’s capability to reduce metal part production times when compared to traditional manufacturing methods, AML3D’s case study CAD to Part in 24 hours showcases the transformative potential of WAM from design to production to post-production treatment.
AML3D WAM® Pipe Spool
Leveraging advanced CAD design and precise control over the wire additive manufacturing process, AML3D successfully fabricated a complex, schedule 160 concentric reducer for the high-pressure industry. The verification of this part helps to demonstrate the technology, its structural integrity, reliability, and capability for large-scale industrial applications.
