HIP PF is additive manufacturing creating complex high integrity components from powdered metal in conjunction with HIP (Hot Isostatic Pressing) technology. HIP PF uses a variety of materials in powder or solid form and can be used to make components with the complexity of a casting but with the strength of a forging. It can be used to produce materials that can't be manufactured by any other means. Powdermet® technologies combine 3D printing with well-established net shape and near net shape techniques.
Powder Power
Valve body
Valve components operating in the harsh environments of the oil & gas and chemical industries must withstand extreme material demands and resist attack from a variety of aggressive environments.
Bodycote Powdermet® technologies are a group of processes used in the production of complex components. These processes utilise near net shape (NNS), selective surface net shape (SSNS) and 3D printing techniques either in combination or on their own to produce cost-effective components with minimal production time. Powdermet® technologies* produce fully consolidated components that cannot be manufactured to the same degree of complexity or material integrity by forging or casting processes.
* Patents pending
The valve body begins life as high quality gas atomised stainless steel and nickel-based powders.
Following material selection, Bodycote's design engineers will work closely with customers to explore the unique and flexible component design opportunities afforded by Bodycote Powdermet® technologies. When the final NNS component design is received from the customer, Bodycote will create an engineering drawing.
The fabricated capsule, almost identical in shape to the finished component but larger in size, is filled with powder.
The encapsulated valve is then HIPed using high temperatures and pressures which allows the powder to become 100% dense and form an NNS component.
Finally the component can be pickled or machined to remove the capsule material resulting in a HIP NNS valve body which is inspected using ultrasonic testing techniques.
End application – offshore oil,chemical or energy industries.