Collaboration aimed at two aspects of additively manufactured (AM) parts: regulatory compliance and joining of AM

12 January 2017: Lloyds Register (LR) and TWI are calling for partners to join two new global collaborative projects focused on two additive manufacturing challenges facing the industrial sector. "Achieving Regulatory and Code Compliance for Additive Manufacturing" and "Joining of Metallic Additively Manufactured Products and Materials" are expected to attract considerable interest from companies worldwide, as these new projects will further explore challenges uncovered from LR and TWIs first joint industry project, "Certification of Laser Powder Additive Manufactured Components for Industrial Adoption in the Energy and Offshore Sectors".

Additive manufacturing, also referred to as 3D printing, has already been widely adopted by the aerospace and medical industries due to its ability to create complex and customised metal parts with not only a high level of precision, but also with reduced weight and high material utilisation.
Even with the current market pressure in the maritime and energy industries, industry players continue to research, plan for and adopt additive manufacturing technologies for the production of metal parts - exploiting benefits such as weight reduction and the ability to print spare parts on demand.
What remains unexplored is the link between additive manufacturing and compliance with standards and regulations that are often used in safety-critical pieces of equipment, such as the American Petroleum Institute code (API), the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code, and Europes Pressure Equipment Directive (PED). "Achieving Regulatory and Code Compliance for Additive Manufacturing" will investigate the routes to regulatory compliance of parts selected by project sponsors, and will produce data and assessment criteria for the introduction and acceptance of parts through third-party inspection. This will give them a head start on their competition by receiving technical services and support covering design and manufacturing through to testing and inspection.
The second project, "Joining of Metallic Additively Manufactured Products and Materials" will concentrate on filling in the real-world gaps (e.g. controls, data, testing, inspection) to enable project sponsors to design, fabricate and put into service structures that are comprised of conventionally made parts welded with additively manufactured parts. Project sponsors will gain the confidence to put parts into service in real-world, challenging operating environments and conditions, which is a significant step forward for industries such as energy, marine and offshore.
The projects further involve LR and TWI in the growing AM industry. Both companies are members of several working groups on additive manufacturing approaches and standardisations for industrial equipment and both offer services and support to help clients move from initial concepts and research through to manufacturing and in-service implementation. The owner of LR, the non-profit Lloyds Register Foundation, is also funding research programmes to address wide-ranging safety challenges relating to additive manufacturing adoption over the coming years.
The launch meeting and project presentations will be held on Tuesday 24th January 2017 at TWI, Cambridge, United Kingdom and also via tele/video-conference. If youd like discuss these projects in more detail, or for information about our additive manufacturing services, please get in touch with the Lloyds Register team at additivemanufacturing@lr.org, or the TWI team at jip@twi.co.uk.

Lloyds Register (LR) is a global engineering, technical and business services organisation wholly owned by the Lloyds Register Foundation, a UK charity dedicated to research and education in science and engineering. Founded in 1760 as a marine classification society, LR now operates across many industry sectors, with some 8,000 employees in 78 countries.

LR has a long-standing reputation for integrity, impartiality and technical excellence. Its compliance, risk and technical consultancy services give clients confidence that their assets and businesses are safe, sustainable and dependable. Through our global technology centres and research network, LR is at the forefront of understanding the application of new science and technology to future-proof our clients businesses.