As industrial applications of additive manufacturing become more prevalent, the oil and gas industry looks to the technology to speed up prototyping and the manufacturing of spare parts
Over the years, additive manufacturing has become prominent in different industries and has significantly influenced automotive and aerospace manufacturing (See how GE is using additive manufacturing for printing spare parts and more). And now, the use of additive manufacturing, also referred to as 3D printing, is attracting the interest of the oil and gas industry.
A report from research company GlobalData, ”3D Printing in Oil & Gas,” explores how 3D printing is emerging as a key technology helping to drive industrial productivity in the oil and gas sector.
“The oil and gas industry has shown slow but steady adoption of 3D printing in recent years,” said Ravindra Puranik, oil and gas analyst at GlobalData. “Initially, this technology was largely limited to polymer-based products. However, recent advancements in metal-based 3D printing are making this technology more relevant to the oil and gas industry.”