Page 36: of Offshore Engineer Magazine (Jul/Aug 2021)

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FEATURE ROBOTICS

Normal welding usually involves welding together two pieces of pipe or structures. With AM, you add material to build strength or geometry, that’s the elegance.

There is huge potential applying

AM and that way of thinking, instead of replacing something, repair it and add lifetime and money. It’s more sustainable.

Brede Lærum,

Head of 3D printing at Equinor, which is a partner on the frst use case for additive manufacturing (AM) rials and without the waiting time associated with acquiring or geometry, that’s the elegance. You can build something or a clamp,” says Carlsen. add material – to a new pipe or structure or an old structure “For a high-pressure application with long lifetime require- where damage or corrosion or underwater mechanisms have ments or extending the design life the ideal solution is to caused damage. We see both topside and subsea, there is huge make a repair or functional upgrade with the exact same mate- potential applying AM and that way of thinking, instead of rial you have on the fowline,” says Bræin. “With 3D printing replacing something, repair it and add lifetime and money. It’s you can do that and build up, layer by layer, with different more sustainable.” metals, aligned with existing design codes.” As well as creat- The potential is almost limitless, he says. “The limit lies in ing a repair, Kongsberg Ferrotech has developed technology ourselves to imagine what’s possible. This new way of work- to create a digital twin of the pipe section, replicating it and ing offers great opportunity. Robotic repair solutions will be the repair, to allow for simulations to be run to ensure that it an important part of our future.” That will include more and repair will work. The operator then also has an exact record of more foating wind turbines, he says, where damage such as their pipeline, its dimensions and how much fber or welding cable coating will need to be addressed. was done, says Bræin. The frm says the goal ranges from pre- For its frst user case with Equinor and Gassco, wire arc ventive maintenance, to prevent a defect from getting worse, additive manufacturing is one of the technologies that could through to full wall loss and signifcant corrosion repairs. be suitable for AM, says Bræin. The goal is to have this ready

Brede Lærum, head of 3D printing at Equinor, which is a to be deployed, with the procedures and design parameters in partner on the frst use case for additive manufacturing (AM), 2022. After that, the company will then add new processes says that 3D printing is more or less a robotic welding pro- and solutions, depending on customer requirements. A future cess, but the difference is how you apply it. “Normal welding development could also be printing new parts onto pipelines usually involves welding together two pieces of pipe or struc- that weren’t there originally, this could be to support a tie-in tures,” he says. “With AM, you add material to build strength or even decommissioning, adds Bræin. 36 OFFSHORE ENGINEER OEDIGITAL.COM