Project Partners: Magdeburger Industriearmaturen-Manufaktur GmbH (MIAM GmbH), Schweißtechnische Lehr- und Versuchsanstalt Halle GmbH (Welding Technology Teaching and Research Institute Halle GmbH)
Financed by: Co-financed by funds from the European Union
The sub-project "Production and evaluation of blanks for high-pressure valves through metallic additive manufacturing with high deposition rates" is co-financed by funds from the European Union.
The changing economic framework conditions in Germany make it difficult for a company like MIAM, with valve batch sizes of 1 to 10 units, to obtain high-quality forgings or cast steel blanks within specific deadlines. The chemical industry, which is also under high competitive pressure, demands the delivery of the required valves within increasingly shorter timeframes. Delivery times are tied to the shortening maintenance and overhaul cycles of chemical plants. The success of bids for valve contracts largely depends on the duration of the contract and the delivery date. So far, the increasingly difficult conditions at German forging and casting companies are being compensated for by cooperating with suppliers abroad, or the high-pressure valves are manufactured from "solid material" (Vollmaterial) with high expenditure in terms of machining and energy.
An alternative may be additive manufacturing, which has been increasingly available industrially for metallic materials for approximately 10 years. In these processes, components are built up layer by layer. The individual layers are joined together using fusion welding techniques or applied (welded on) directly as liquid metal. This creates a cohesive bond between the layers, which is comparable to a cast product. Through targeted heat control and process monitoring, the properties of the manufactured blanks can be superior to those of cast or forged products. Furthermore, multi-material applications with targeted material adjustments in particularly critical or stressed areas of the component are already feasible. However, the application of additive manufacturing for the production of valve blanks from high-temperature-resistant and corrosion-resistant materials has not yet been sufficiently researched. It offers the potential to become independent of the aforementioned supply bottlenecks while increasing the technical performance of the components.
MIAM GmbH has invested in robotic manufacturing, including for the cladding of valves. This provides the company with the initial capabilities for the introduction of additive manufacturing. Building upon the expertise of SLV Halle GmbH and international research results in metallic additive manufacturing, housings for high-pressure valves in different geometric designs are to be manufactured. This has not yet been published in the literature – including in patent applications – and, according to our own research, represents a novelty.