Enabling RDM in challenging environments via additive layer manufacturing: enhancing offshore petroleum asset operations

Redistributed manufacturing (RDM), together with additive layer manufacturing (ALM), enables a consumer-centric supply to be created and some of the challenges pertaining to traditional supply chains based on centralized manufacturing to be overcome. ALM technologies allow the cost-effective and fast fabrication of parts with an intricate/complex external and internal structure, via the addition of material layer-by-layer in a controlled environment. ALM technologies, together with RDM, have a significant potential to mitigate the spare parts related challenges that are central to offshore petroleum asset operations [i.e. in relation to maintenance, repair, overhaul and modifications (MRO&Ms)]. This manuscript provides a comprehensive investigation of how ALM enables the benefits of RDM to be taken up in offshore petroleum asset operations. It also provides an overview of the need for technology qualification and a methodology for designing parameter combinations to enhance RDM performance. The designing of a parameter combination is explained in relation to situations involving several ALM systems and those involving a single ALM system.