Andy Sales, AML Managing Director, receives the LR-endorsed AM facility qualification certificate from Hussain Quraishi, LR Strategic Projects Lead.
Lloyd’s Register (LR) has awarded its latest additive manufacturing (AM) facility qualification certificate to AML Technologies (AML), an Australian service bureau focused on wire-arc additive manufacturing technology (WAAM).
LR’s auditors carried out a review of AML’s systems specific to the WAAM process and a full survey of its Salisbury-based facility including material handling, personnel competence, build process, health and safety, and control of non-conforming items.
LR’s has been involved in creating AM-specific certifications along with its partner organisation, TWI, first releasing a framework for AM metal parts back in 2016, which aims to assist manufacturers, and end users of equipment and components, in the safe adoption of AM.
“Third-party inspection offers an un-biased advantage to potential customers wishing to build parts using AML’s process,” said Andy Sales, AML’s managing director. “That’s core to our values at AML. At the end of the day, the facility certification from LR will help provide awareness and assurance for customers to use AML for their OEM part and component type approval and qualification needs.”
Previous facility certifications from LR focused on powder-based AM processes and systems which are typically limited by build size and available materials. However, last year LR’s “Guidance Notes for the Certification of Metallic Parts made by Additive Manufacturing” framework was updated to reflect additional technologies such as WAAM which uses wire feedstock to produce large-scale metal parts in a range of weldable metals and alloys. LR was recently involved in a project with the Port of Rotterdam’s RAMLAB facility where a combination of WAAM and subtractive machining were employed to produce a certified large-scale functional ship propeller, nicknamed the WAAMpeller.
“These limitations have delayed the adoption of powder-based AM systems for marine and offshore industries,” said Hussain Quraishi, Strategic Projects Lead at LR’s Global Technology Centre in Singapore. “Using wire feedstock enables companies to produce larger component sizes with a wider selection of materials. Combined with the lower cost of wire feedstock, this unlocks significant potential for the marine and offshore industries in particular.”
“From our humble beginnings, AML had set quality accreditation as a planned key milestone," said Sales. "Our early engagement with LR for facility qualification was a very smooth and efficient process. We gained valuable knowledge and appreciated the solid foundation of LR’s highly experienced and enthusiastic surveyors and auditors. We are excited and look forward to working further with LR as our business grows.”
