The use of AM technology already opened new technical opportunities for repairing components previously considered non-repairable by conventional methods.
Manudirect’s MLD platform offer precision part pick-up and restoration, leading to a quality product that requires minimal post grinding.
This is the case of Ni-Cr alloy for the repair of turbine blades to be used at high temperatures. Turbines requires high cost maintenance with the replacement of complete turbine blades even if just small amounts of material have been eroded by their use.
A Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) on the energy and environmental impacts showed that direct laser deposition is most beneficial with relatively small defects. When the repair volume is 10% of the blade there is at least a 45% carbon footprint improvement and a 36% savings in total energy over replacing with a new blade.
Damage in high valued metallic components is often found in the form of cavities or voids in the material. As the material degrades or the critical dimensions of the component no longer match the specified dimensions required for efficiency, the performance of the component also diminishes. After remanufacturing, these components can regain all of their efficiency, or regain even more, by incorporating more advanced materials or by adapting to the improved design.