Swedish company Siemens Energy is leveraging German company EOS‘EOSINT M 280 metal 3D printer to accelerate turbine repairs while modernizing older components to meet the latest design standards. Additive Manufacturing (AM) has become central to the company’s maintenance strategy, delivering higher precision, increased efficiency, and reducing downtime for industrial gas turbines.
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“Additive Manufacturing opens up new dimensions for us in the use of integrated design and production. This technology enables us to manufacture and repair components for our industrial gas turbines far quicker than before. At the same time, the functionality and performance of the part is increased,” said Dr. Vladimir Navrotsky, Head of Technology and Innovation at Siemens Energy Service.
Optimizing Repairs with Additive Manufacturing
Siemens Energy produces industrial gas turbines with outputs ranging from 15 to 60 MW, serving both power generation and oil & gas industries. Each turbine consists of an air inlet, compressor, combustor, turbine, and hot gas outlet. Air is first compressed, then mixed with fuel and ignited in the combustion chamber, increasing the kinetic energy of the flow. This energy is converted into mechanical energy in the turbine, which drives the gas turbine compressor and generator to produce electricity, or other equipment such as compressors used for pumping gas or oil through pipelines.
Components in the turbine’s hot gas path, including blades and vanes, operate under extreme temperatures, sometimes exceeding 1,000°C, which leads to significant wear over time. The burner tip, where the fuel-air mixture ignites, is particularly prone to wear. Traditionally, repairs required prefabricated replacement sections, which involved removing the worn tip and welding in the new part—a process that was both labor-intensive and time-consuming, with multiple inspections and subprocesses required.
To address these challenges, Siemens partnered with EOS to adapt an EOSINT M 280 metal 3D printer specifically for turbine repairs. The system was upgraded to handle 800 mm burner components and equipped with advanced camera and optical measurement systems, along with customized software adjustments. EOS successfully re-engineered the EOSINT system within a year. This approach allows Siemens to remove only the damaged material rather than replace entire sections, while also bringing older burners up to the latest design standards.
Results and Strategic Advantages
The implementation of AM has produced significant benefits. Repair times have been reduced by up to 90%, allowing turbines to return to service more quickly and reducing overall maintenance costs. The process also permits design improvements to be integrated directly into repairs, ensuring older equipment can take advantage of the latest technological advancements.
“We have successfully pushed our technology into the repair arena. We’ve shown that we are capable of modifying our system quickly to meet customer-specific requirements. In this case the modifications to both hardware and software were significant. Everyone involved can look back with satisfaction, not only at the end result but also the route to achieving it,” says Stefan Oswald, Head of Project Management Office, EOS.
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Featured photo shows Siemens repair process using EOS 3D printing for on-demand, customized component production. Photo via EOS.
