Alfa Laval hoping to scale up additive manufacturing

“We have been very active in the centre, and keen to enter new collaborations and projects. This has taken us very far in our own implementation of additive manufacturing. To us, it’s a natural advantage to embark on this journey together with other companies. It speeds up the process, which is of great value for Swedish competitiveness,” says Per Gabrielson, Manager of Tool Design and Technology at Alfa Laval, adding:

“As we and our fellow partners come from diverse industries without competition among us, we can freely exchange technology and processes, collectively enhancing our effectiveness. Together, we can establish a solid foundation and make shared investments for mutual growth.”

Exploring new solutions

Apart from collaborative opportunities, the provided access to different types of equipment and software is seen as a major advantage.

“The Application Center for Additive Manufacturing has a wide array of technologies and software to choose from, and we have tried many of them with great success. Right now, our eyes are set on generative design, Directed Energy Deposition and Hot Isostatic Pressing,” says Johan Stenermark, AM Design Engineer at Alfa Laval, and continues:

“You need to think additive manufacturing from the start. If you do that, almost anything is possible. Replicating traditional design is difficult and can only get you so far. AM offers considerable freedoms, which can be used to create something better. Fortunately, there is a growing trend of considering AM at the early stages of manufacturing.”

Reaching the market

To Alfa Laval, the centre has not only been a platform for experimentation. Their venture into additive manufacturing has led to the introduction of several components into the market.

“We have actually set up our own little AM Center in Eskilstuna, where we produce spare parts and prototypes. So, we have a few articles on the market as we speak. The design is traditional though, adjusted for AM”, says Ingemar Allerdahl, Operator at Alfa Laval.

Implementing additive manufacturing has, of course, not only been a walk in the park. Alfa Laval has struggled with internal scepticism regarding both performance and price. 

“Additive manufacturing is expensive, but the question is if it really is more expensive than traditional manufacturing, when you take all parameters into account. Currently, we are making a conscious effort to monitor both time and earnings,” says Thamon Benjapongsapun, Project Manager at Alfa Laval.

Regardless, it is with hope and great ambition they look into the future.

“The Application Center for Additive Manufacturing provides us with the ability to test all potential solutions, which accelerates our internal progress. Our hope is that it will help us speed up the implementation of additive manufacturing on an industrial scale,” says Lindsay Leach, AM Specialist at Alfa Laval.