Shell's printed clamp passes the burst test

摘要

USING 3D technology for pipeline repairs is not new to Shell - the supermajor has been working ori additive manufacturing applications for more than a decade, and late last year installed what it says is the first 3D printed repair clamp to be put into service. Working with US engineering company Team Inc and French tubing manufacturer Vallourec, Shell used wire arc additive manufacturing to build the clamp, layer by layer, resulting in a 3D printed component that meets the burst test requirement, Shell says. Complex clamps can take several weeks to manufacture and deliver, and while the 3D printed clamp, being a first, took longer than normal to deliver, Shell is counting on collaboration with other companies and a degree of industry standardisation to bring down the lead time and costs of large 3D printed spare parts.