3D Printed Polymer Gaskets for Severe Service Energy Applications

The interest in Additive Manufacturing (AM) or 3D printing is exponentially increased in the last years due to universally attractive characteristics such as high customizability, reduced lead time and low waste generation.

For all these reasons, the interest of the O&G community in AM has grown, too. For what concerns metal components, DNV has published the first set of guidelines DNVGL-ST-B203 in 2020, to qualify 3D printed components for the Oil & Gas industry. Later (October 2021), the new standard API 20S has been released to cover the same scope, while a polymers-specific standard will be published by API in 2022 – 2023 under the name API 20T.

Among printable plastic materials, the so-called “technical polymers” stand as the most interesting candidates to be employed in the O&G sector.

From the OEM perspective, an intense R&D activity on Additive Manufacturing technologies and printable materials, to evaluate the most promising applications to introduce 3D printed components for pressure containing and pressure controlling equipment.

The possibility to substitute conventionally manufactured, multi-material gaskets with additively manufactured, single material, support free and with minimal post-processing needed gasket, without compromise on the working functionality, is of extreme interest for both OEM in house production and End User Digital Inventory for on-site 'Just in Time' production.

Valland's R&D activities can grant significant insights to other OEM and End Users to accelerate the adoption of AM technologies for the production of polymer gaskets for severe service applications; for example, low temperature, high temperature, high pressure