2023-04-29 22:01:00
BMT Additive, the AM subsidiary of aviation supplier BMT Aerospace, has been certified to produce an impeller using the electron beam metal printing process. The certification applies to the production of an impeller for a centrifugal pump, 3D printed in Grade 5 titanum.
The Belgian supplier to the aircraft and oil and gas industry is taking an important step in the roll-out of additive manufacturing as a production technology. During the SIM Materials Forum at Advanced Engineering in Antwerp, Jan Peirs of BMT Additive will give a presentation about the steps the company has taken to achieve series production with AM.
DNVGL AM standard extended for multiple metal printing techniques
Joint project of industries
The certification of the factory in Oostkamp was done by DNV and is a follow-up to BMT Additive’s participation in the second phase of the JIP Programme. This is a joint industry program of the energy, oil & gas, maritime and aerospace industries to standardize additive manufacturing processes in these industries. The project is an initiative of DNV. Several European companies from the oil and gas industry have explored the possibilities of additive manufacturing and prepared for certification. In the first phase, the project parties developed the new DNVGL-ST-B203 standard for AM with laser powder bed technology. In the second phase, the standard was expanded to include other metal printing techniques, such as EBM, WAAM, Directed Energy Deposition and Metal Binder Jet Fusion. A third project phase has now started.
Certification basis for further growth
“DNV facility certification and component family qualification is very important for BMT Aerospace to support our growth objective in the energy and oil and gas applications. We see the great potential of AM in these industries, and it is clear that these certifications will give us the confidence of our end customers with the right level of assurance and help them integrate our services into their just-in-time supply chain.” , says Ewald Goossens, Innovations & New Technologies Manager at BMT Aerospace. The Belgian company is optimistic about the acceptance of AM as a production technology now that the first component has been certified. “With the added confidence of a respected institution like DNV, we are very optimistic that OEMs and end-users in the energy and marine industries will see EBM processes as a viable route for industrial adoption,” said the supplier.
Advantages electron beam
The company has opted for the Electron Beam powder bed fusion process, which uses a 3 kW electron source as the energy source. The advantages of this process, which takes place entirely in a vacuum, are the high purity and the minimal deformation under the influence of temperature.
Jan Piers Sr. Design And R&D Engineer at BMT Aerospace International will give his presentation on May 24. SIM Materials Forum is part of Advanced Engineering on 24 and 25 May in Antwerp Expo. You can register for this fair here. When registering you can check to visit the SIM Materials Forum.
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