Digital part storage specialist Ivaldi Group has announced that it will be taking on the role of project manager in a Phase II Joint Industry Program (JIP) to advance spare part 3D printing for the maritime sector in Singapore.
Ivaldi believes that additive manufacturing will be crucial in boosting productivity and sustainability in the industry over the coming decades, and cites speed, part performance, and cost reductions as hurdles to jump. The JIP aims to achieve these goals, bringing together 14 key industry players to 3D print, certify, and install end-use parts onboard vessels in the region.
Espen Sivertsen, CEO of Ivaldi, explains: “This is an important milestone for maritime adoption of digital distribution. Up until now, certification of critical parts has been very costly and time-consuming because each part has to cover new ground. By working together on key part categories we aim to remove some of the remaining barriers for mass adoption.”
The Phase II JIP
As part of the program, the JIP partners will select up to ten maritime parts from a pre-established shortlist of 100 (originally created by classification society DNV GL) to use for a case study. Ivaldi has stated that the selected parts will be representative of the industry by being applicable to both OEM and end-user study members.
The selected parts will then be digitally optimized and printed, before being assessed for their economic viability when produced on-demand. Finally, the JIP partners will discuss and decide on next steps, which includes a cost estimation of the whole on-demand manufacturing integration process for a number of supply chains.
Anna D’Alessio, Director of Quality Engineering of Ivaldi, adds: “We’re excited to bring together companies in the industry, basing our part selection on the needs of both OEMs and end-users. We hope this project is just the beginning of additive manufacturing parts for the maritime industry. This project aims to develop the future of certification, focusing on categories to make the process faster, cheaper, and more reliable.”
Singapore as a global maritime hub
The program, by solving some of the major technical and cost issues surrounding part certification, ultimately aims to boost Singapore’s standing on the global maritime stage. The country is already one of the most active hub ports in the world, and will soon hopefully have the spare part production capabilities to keep up with, and better serve, its daily shipment activity.
Kenneth Lim, CTO of the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore, concludes: “As the world’s busiest transhipment hub, Singapore continues to provide a conducive environment for companies to develop innovative technologies such as additive manufacturing, which will enhance operational efficiency and strengthen our value proposition as a just-in-time hub for the provision of marine parts.”
Besides the major JIP, 2020 has been a very active year for additive manufacturing in the maritime sector. Global maritime industry group Wilhelmsen has previously delivered a number of 3D printed parts to dry bulk shipping company Berge Bulk. Dubbed a “landmark commercial delivery” by Wilhelmsen, the parts included a set of 3D printed scupper plugs fabricated by Ivaldi.
More recently, German engineering conglomerate Thyssenkrupp also formally entered into a joint venture with Wilhelmsen to provide 3D printed maritime spare parts. The current vessel program, which is now run by Wilhelmsen in collaboration with Ivaldi and Thyssenkrupp, was open to just six early adopters at the end of last year.
Subscribe to the 3D Printing Industry newsletter for the latest news in additive manufacturing. You can also stay connected by following us on Twitter and liking us on Facebook.
Looking for a career in additive manufacturing? Visit 3D Printing Jobs for a selection of roles in the industry.
Featured image shows the Pasir Panjang Terminal in Singapore. Image via Port Singapore Authority.
