Egon Seegers, General Manager Service Parts of ABB Switzerland Ltd, Turbocharging.
ABB Turbocharging has invested in Additive Industries’ MetalFAB1 platform to produce spare parts for its 500 kW to 80+ MW turbochargers for diesel and gas engines on-demand.
Working with Additive Industries, ABB is optimising its spare parts manufacturing process to replace casting and move ‘part fabrication to the digital space.’
ABB has installed more than 200,000 turbochargers in the marine engine and emergency power generation sectors. Typically, to secure availability for the thousands of different turbocharger spare part designs – that carry casting lead times up to nine weeks – a large number of spare parts need to be stored in inventory. With the MetalFAB1, ABB is said to be able to significantly reduce the lead times for spare parts, and in turn, reduce its inventory levels.
“In Additive Industries, we have found a partner that not only understands what it required to use 3D metal printing in an industrial environment, but they also share our passion for digital technologies to continuously improve the service to our customers’,” commented Egon Seegers, General Manager Service Parts of ABB Switzerland, Turbocharging.
“With ABB, we have added another market leader to our very focused list of customers,” added Additive Industries CEO Ian Howe. “They are committed to drive progress in the domain of digital spare part manufacturing, very relevant in a time where shortening the lead times and limiting logistical movements around the world is key.”
