What potential does additive manufacturing have for the energy transition?

The first edition of the new forum will focus on two main topics: the use of AM for turbomachinery construction and for electrolyser and fuel cell production. Speakers will include experts from MAN Energy Solutions, the international association of the gas turbine technology community ETN Global, Scanlab, Whitecell Eisenhuth and Headmade Materials.

"We all have the same challenges in the energy sector. We want to use AM with the greatest possible added value for our customers. In our case, this primarily means contributing to_{CO2 savings}. To achieve this, we need to make further progress with the industrialization of AM processes - preferably together with all partners in the value chain for the production and operation of gas turbines. At the forum, we will be presenting applications that have already been tried and tested as well as discussing the need for further action," says Ulli Klenk from Siemens Energy. The member of the Rapid.Tech 3D Advisory Board is responsible for the content of the forum together with Dr. Eric Klemp from Whitecell Eisenhuth, also a member of the Advisory Board.

AM machine data: Transparency required

Anders Such, Head of Additive Manufacturing at MAN Energy Solutions, will present examples of how MAN uses additive manufacturing for the more efficient production of components in turbomachinery and engine construction. The potential and challenges that arise when integrating 3D printing into existing industrial production chains will also play a role.

There is a need for action in areas such as standardization, certification and cooperation between manufacturers of AM systems and users in gas turbine construction. This is a topic in the presentation by Nicolò Cairo, Project Officer at the Energy & Turbomachinery Network ETN Global, and a finding from a study by the network on the L-PBF machines (laser powder bed fusion) mainly used in the energy sector. The ETN Additive Manufacturing Working Group has evaluated the systems available on the market in terms of their performance. Ulli Klenk, a member of this working group, explains: "We were able to establish a high level of comparable quality across all systems. There are differences in price. What is missing is transparency. We need direct access to process management and machine data in order to further improve the business case. The technical solutions for this are available."

Scan systems from Scanlab are among the solutions that enable this openness in terms of data access. These are used by L-PBF machine manufacturers. Examples of end-to-end process control will be presented by Dr. Daniel Reitemeyer from Scanlab's Business Development department.

Producing and using hydrogen "green"

3D printing is already being used in gas turbine production for the manufacture of components subject to the highest thermal and mechanical loads, such as burner tips. These elements can already use 80 percent hydrogen instead of natural gas. "100 percent is not far away. But what we need is green hydrogen," says Ulli Klenk, referring to a core problem of the energy transition and thus to the second focus of the forum.

"In particular, we are looking at the potential of additive manufacturing for the production of electrolysers and fuel cells in order to use these systems to produce hydrogen with as few emissions as possible and also to use it in a "green" way, for example in the mobility sector," explains Dr. Eric Klemp, who is responsible for this part of the forum. The Head of Fuel Cell and Additive Manufacturing at Whitecell Eisenhuth will also talk about the use of AM in the production of bipolar plates. These components are essential elements in fuel cells and electrolysers. Whitecell Eisenhuth uses 3D printing processes such as screen printing to produce the bipolar plates more quickly, which also offer significantly better performance and a new form of protection against product piracy.

Another 3D printing solution for the production of bipolar plates will be presented by Ralph Mayer, Senior Technical Sales Manager at Headmade Materials. He will present the CMF technology (Cold Metal Fusion). It combines the advantages of laser sintering for plastics with metallic 3D printing and is used, for example, in the additive production of end plates in electrolyzers. Here in particular, the combination of processes and materials offers clear and significant added value.