Additive Manufacturing Onsite Repair
The world’s most advanced manufacturing technology for repair
Additive Manufacturing Onsite Repair brings the world’s most advanced manufacturing technology for repair to your plant
Operational disruptions and downtimes are associated with high costs and difficulties for plant operators. Fast, reliable, and straightforward service is crucial for getting plants back into operation as quickly as possible. But spare parts availability might be critical and transporting a valuable component to a workshop can be expensive and a time-consuming logistical operation. Our Additive Manufacturing Onsite Repair solution is designed to restore your critical components – or even improve their performance – onsite using the advanced additive manufacturing technology.
At a glance
Everything onsite at plant
- Engineering approved onsite repair solution
- Additive manufacturing specialists
- Robotic supported laser cladding or Wire Arc Additive Manufacturing technologies (WAAM)
- Pre- and final machining and Non-destructive Testing
- Zero harm safety concept
Key intended benefits
- Highly precise and contour fitting onsite repair
- Restoration of the original condition
- Surface component optimization possible
- Optimized accuracy by using robotic systems
- Minimum impact to the critical path
Additive manufacturing
- About Additive Manufacturing Onsite Repair
- AM Technology
- Machining Technology
- Application
Our Additive Manufacturing Onsite Repair solution is designed to enable challenging and value-adding repairs to be carried out onsite.
It saves customers long delivery times and investment costs by using advanced additive manufacturing processes onsite.
Additive Manufacturing Onsite Repair – a unique process intended to restore the original condition of components of any dimension onsite – offers new repair possibilities for power plants and many other industries.
Our Additive Manufacturing Onsite Repair solution is designed to enable challenging and value-adding repairs to be carried out onsite.
It saves customers long delivery times and investment costs by using advanced additive manufacturing processes onsite.
Additive Manufacturing Onsite Repair – a unique process intended to restore the original condition of components of any dimension onsite – offers new repair possibilities for power plants and many other industries.
Our solution uses mobile robotics systems that enable both small and large components to be repaired onsite. The system comprises a robot, an additive device/welding head and a control system. It can be combined with a variety of equipment, such as a turntable or a rotation drive, to meet specific needs. The entire system can be deployed to the site and assembled along with a mobile protection system. It designed to be ready to start work within several hours.
Affected components refurbished and finished using modern additive manufacturing processes.
Mobile robot assisted systems like robotic laser cladding or Wire Arc Additive Manufacturing technologies help enable the repair of components worldwide using additive manufacturing processes.
Thanks to modern technologies, limited distortion and heat affects are expected, and the original condition of the component is restored.
Additive Manufacturing (AM) is an emerging and innovative manufacturing process that differs fundamentally from conventional approaches.
Components are built or restored layer by layer which can result in enormous flexibility. Different onsite processes are available, like laser cladding or Wire Arc Additive Manufacturing technologies.
A thin layer of the substrate is melted in a controlled manner by a laser. This is designed to form a metallurgical bond between the substrate and the component. The absorbed metal powder produces deposit on the surface.
Different powders can be premixed before injection, or several different powders can be used to create a custom alloy. By combining different metals and alloys, sandwich structures can be produced. Material combinations that are difficult to achieve with traditional methods can be generated with laser metal deposition.
The base materials for laser cladding will be qualified and used by Siemens Energy depending on the application.
Wire Arc Additive Manufacturing (WAAM) uses an arc welding process to 3D print metal parts. It enables the production and repair of large parts with structural integrity.
Application of a highly precise laser beam is designed to limit the amount of heat – generated during the process, which is a significant advantage over conventional processes.
The robotic laser application helps promote fast and accurate processing. In addition, the solution can be used with almost all component geometries.
On-Site Machining plays a key role for helping promote high availability, long service intervals and the shortest possible repair times and costs.
It is intended to save valuable time for transport, and plant operators are ideally equipped to deal with any possible findings or planned downtimes in their plants.
Key intended benefits
- More cost effective via shorter repair times
- Reduced transport times
- Repairs within the critical path of plant downtime
- Worldwide service with advanced technology
Our technological edge begins where we leave standard solutions behind. We began working on On-Site Machining decades ago and have used a succession of proprietary developments. This approach is crucial if we are to meet the ever-increasing precision requirements.
For us, reliability begins with precision. And with the sense of responsibility that comes with offering you the best possible service wherever you may need us. And we believe reliability also means working with verified, clearly structured processes and checking our improvements at regular milestones – all with the objective of getting your plant up and running again faster than ever.
By capturing and analyzing large amounts of data and applying new measurement techniques or innovative 3D models, our On-Site Machining services can be even more efficient and valuable for our customers.
Additive Manufacturing Onsite Repair is suitable for various applications.
The process is particularly suitable for power plant components but also for many other industries. When spare parts are not available or it is crucial to restore the original condition of a component, the onsite repair solution is beneficial.
Restoring the original journal diameters without a bearing shell exchange.
Saving the replacement of a component and thus a significant amount of crucial uptime.
Potential to restore gas turbine, steam turbine or generator rotors to their original geometries and usability onsite.
Additive Manufacturing Onsite Repair – The minds behind the solution
To best meet our customers‘ service requirements, we bring together our top specialists from different disciplines.
With Additive Manufacturing Onsite Repair, we’ve created a new service offering that is designed to provide an optimal solution for fast and efficient component refurbishment. We’ve achieved this by combining our Engineering, Non-destructive Testing, On-Site Machining and Welding specialization.
The Engineer
„Our technological edge starts where we leave standard solutions behind. This was the impetus for us to develop our innovative Additive Manufacturing Onsite Repair solution. And this is how we continue to meet ever higher requirements for precision and quality.“
Felix Vogt, Head of Technology Implementation
Creativity meets experience
To develop the Additive Manufacturing Onsite Repair solution, we combined the creativity of our engineers with our extensive onsite service expertise and in-depth knowledge of Additive Manufacturing.
The Non-destructive Testing Engineer
„Just like our customers, we make the highest demands on our work. For us, Non-destructive Testing is fundamental to the safe and reliable operation of a plant. This way, we ensure that all requirements are fully met.“
Jörg Friedrich, Non-destructive Testing Engineer
Reliable with safety
Non-destructive Testing plays a crucial role in helping to confirm plant integrity. It is based on a wealth of data and knowledge that we have accumulated over many years and ensures that we can accurately determine the condition of components.
The On-Site Machining Engineer
„Our onsite repair capabilities are based on a century of experience in manufacturing reliable plant components and the necessary repair tools. Today, this experience enables us to perform an advanced repair process that combines in-depth expertise with cutting-edge technology.“
Alexander Braun, On-Site Machining Engineer
In any environmental conditions
Performing demanding repairs onsite is a special challenge. Based on our extensive experience, we can perform an Additive Manufacturing Onsite Repair in a wide range of environmental conditions.
The Welding Engineer
„What particularly fascinates me about Additive Manufacturing Onsite Repair is that we have virtually reinvented an age-old repair method. Thanks to the use of advanced industrial robots and laser technology, we achieve fascinating precision without the disadvantages of heat-induced distortion or damage.“
Luk Mühlstein, Welding Engineer – Welding Technologies
Precisely to the point
Since laser metal deposition is designed to allow the amount of energy to be precisely metered and applied to precisely defined areas of the substrate, only a small amount of heat is generated. This is designed to allow components to be refurbished without altering them.
Application examples
- Onsite Journal Repair
- Onsite Component Repair
- Onsite Rotor Refurbishment
Onsite Journal Repair helps enable the rectification of scoring marks or damages without a journal exchange. The repair is intended to restore the original journal diameters to promote optimal operation. For a successful repair, it’s crucial to precisely meet the tolerances for diameters, all other geometric dimensions and all welding requirements for surface and material quality. Structural properties, such as hardness, are retained. The Additive Manufacturing Onsite Repair technology is tailored to meet these demands and can help save the customer both time and money.
Restoring the original state in five steps:
- Fact finding and evaluation /determination
- Pre-machining of affected rotor area by turning
- Laser Cladding Process
- Final machining to the original diameter
- Non-destructive Testing (NDT)
The individual components of rotating equipment are crucial for their reliable and efficient operation. Onsite Component Repair is an excellent solution to refurbish critical components, like gas turbine parts, that are designed to ensure the correct flow of air streams. Wear on these components can affect the safety and efficiency of operation since misdirected cooling air can cause inadequate cooling of the rotating blades and a loss of power. Onsite Component Repair is intended to save the exchange of the component and a significant amount of crucial uptime. Our team of service specialists addresses the entire process, from disassemble to assemble and recommissioning.
Faster and more cost effective:
- Use of mobile additive manufacturing systems is intended to enable the optimization of mechanical properties of weld material in relation to base material, and is expected to offer better resistance against wear (depending on the processes and additives used)
- Total duration of entire process expected to be within the outage schedule
- Total repair costs are estimated to be beneficial compared to a replacement
Onsite Rotor Refurbishment is considered the ideal solution when a rectification is to be carried out without exchanging the entire rotor. For gas turbine, steam turbine, or generator rotors, the original diameters can potentially be restored. The exact tolerances for diameter and all other geometric dimensions are met and all welding requirements for surface and material quality may be fulfilled. In addition, structural properties, such as hardness, are retained. Customers thus intended to save valuable time and money. Our team of service specialists addresses the entire process, from disassemble to assemble and recommissioning.
Restoring the original state in four steps:
- Pre-machining of affected rotor area by turning
- Laser Cladding Process
- Final machining to the original diameter
- Non-destructive Testing (NDT)
A broad service portfolio for all requirements
The service needs of our customers are just as varied as the plants themselves. Additive Manufacturing Onsite Repair complements our existing service portfolios, with which we offer closely interlinked service solutions for all requirements.
Our goal is to provide the best possible, most efficient and uncomplicated service to our cutomers worldwide in order to constantly reduce limitations such as downtime or other inconveniences to an absolute minimum.
Onsite Repair Solutions – State-of-the-art service technologies on site at your plant
Our wide range of mobile service solutions includes maintenance, repairs, replacements, refurbishments and upgrades of components, as well as technical education training for every need. Our mobile equipment makes us highly flexible and quickly available anytime and anywhere.
Field Service – Innovative service solutions for all types of power plants
With over 2,000 highly trained and experienced specialists located around the world, we provide qualified and committed onsite competence for all types of fossil power plants. Whether for gas turbines, steam turbines and generators, for new or existing power plants, we offer innovative solutions that can be tailored to individual needs to help secure high levels of availability, flexibility, and reliability
ROTEX – Plug-in Exchange Solution of Gas Turbines
Our Rotor Exchange Program (ROTEX) is designed to increase power plant availability and reliability by transforming rotor life decisions into an adaptable asset management strategy. Customers can potentially benefit from improved cash flow, cost reduction, and continued modernization when providing us with the flexibility of effectively managing their rotors.
TECC – Technical Education and Competency Centers for Large Gas Turbines, Steam Turbines and Generators
Our TECC are the perfect training places for power plant personnel. We offer a large variety of services to fit every business needs. The training portfolio includes system technology and measurement, inspection and maintenance, assembly and commissioning, troubleshooting and fault rectification and EHS topics.