Both LR and TWI are already fairly involved with the additive manufacturing industry: both companies are members of several working additive manufacturing standardization groups. Even the owner of LR, non-profit Lloyd’s Register Foundation, is funding research programs that will address the safety challenges of additive manufacturing. These joint projects will help further involve both companies in the growing AM industry.
The aerospace and medical industries in particular have taken to AM, as the technology can create custom, precise, and complex metal parts that weigh less, while still maintaining a high material utilization. There is near constant research these days, even considering “the current market pressure in the maritime and energy industries,” especially into the production of 3D printed metal parts, as major industry names keep adding beneficial AM technologies to their wheelhouse, focusing on weight reduction and the ability to fabricate spare parts on demand.
The first of LR and TWI’s new projects, “Achieving Regulatory and Code Compliance for Additive Manufacturing,” will “investigate the routes to regulatory compliance of parts selected by project sponsors, and will produce data and assessment criteria for the introduction and acceptance of parts through third-party inspection.” Some of the components and materials that will be investigated include mechanical properties, microstructural characteristics, and corrosion resistance and inspection. The research will give the project sponsors a leg up, as the companies will be able to get technical services and support, as well as more fully understand and appreciate the scope of existing standards and regulatory codes. According to the project page, the objectives of this JIP are:
- To investigate the methodology for potential acceptance of AM materials and begin the process of introducing AM to the relevant regulatory bodies;
- To generate specific material data including comparative microstructures and properties for a range of metallic engineering materials;
- To recommend methods for the inspection of AM parts;
- To provide guidance for the introduction of AM technology into manufacturing.
- Design and manufacture standardized representative AM samples, for use in subsequent joining trials, in materials relevant to the requirements of the sponsor group;
- Make joints in AM material using the methods selected by the sponsor group, identify suitable processing methods and parameters;
- Assess the performance of non-destructive testing methods on joints containing AM materials;
- Perform testing to assess the properties of the joints and the efficacy of using standardized tests on AM material.
LR and TWI are still looking for project sponsors; if your company is interested, you can sign up on the project pages. The project launch meeting and presentations will be held next Tuesday, January 24th, at TWI’s head office in Cambridge, United Kingdom; you can also sign in via telephone or video conference. Discuss in the LR TWI forum at 3DPB.com.