Additive manufacturing is an advanced manufacturing method where parts get manufactured by joining materials to make objects from 3D model data. The 3D printer stacks layer upon layer of material to form the final object, as opposed to subtractive manufacturing methodologies. 3D printing brings value to businesses by addressing many operational challenges: enabling the production of obsolete parts that are no longer produced by the original manufacturer, reducing the lead time significantly and returning critical equipment back in operation in very short time frame.

The process of 3D Printing is kicked-off with part identification where the application feasibility is studied and approved, followed by reverse engineering of the part, which is done either by using a 3D scanner or by manually taking the measurement, and then using an advanced design software to develop the digital replica. In the following step, Finite Element Analysis simulates all the boundary conditions the part is subjected to in real life. The process ends with the manufacturing, or 3D printing, of the part.
3D printing adds great value to supply chain management, by reducing the need to store significant stock-piles of specific assets and replace it with digitalization of inventory. 3D Printing can also be approached from a contingency plan perspective to tackle events where unpredictable failure is a concern, and used to solve corrosion challenges by 3D printing high performance nonmetallic parts or expediting the production of spare parts to ensure operational continuity.

3D printing also adds value by addressing many operational challenges and enabling significant lead time reduction and cost savings. The flexibility of the 3D Printing process can make it appealing for instances of T&I of Oil & Gas facilities where unplanned maintenance and repair may be necessary to certain equipment, and urgent requests for replacement are difficult to meet from a time perspective leading to potential delays and missing deadlines of T&I.