Sembcorp Marine, DNV GL, A STAR’s Singapore Institute of Manufacturing Technology (SIMTech) and the National Additive Manufacturing Innovation Cluster (NAMIC) have signed an MoU to develop ‘disruptive applications’ in additive manufacturing (AM) for Singapore’s offshore and marine (O&M) sector.

The four-way collaboration will focus on laser-aided AM for fabricating large-scale ship structures. To be funded by NAMIC, the nine-month project will be launched by the end of 2017; it will involve a test case and user acceptance from Sembcorp Marine, with DNV GL and SIMTech assuming the roles of ‘process certifier’ and ‘technology provider’ respectively.

Among the project’s aims is to gauge the feasibility of adopting AM to produce reliable and cost-competitive components locally in support of Sembcorp Marine’s O&M construction work. Through this collaboration, DNV GL will be able to enhance the qualification process of AM and support NAMIC in “developing an AM ecosystem within Singapore’s O&M sector”.