AiP Granted for Additive Manufacturing of Pressure Vessels for Human Occupancy

DEEP Manufacturing Limited (DML) has secured DNV approval in principle (AiP) for its use of wire arc additive manufacturing in the production of steel for pressure vessels for human occupancy.

With 20 Wire Arc systems at its Advanced Manufacturing Centre of Excellence in Avonmouth, UK, DEEP Manufacturing operates one of the largest concentrations of Wire Arc Additive Manufacturing (WAAM) systems globally.

WAAM enables the manufacture of large-scale metal components with complex geometries. Unlike powder based additive manufacturing, WAAM uses an electric arc to melt wire feedstock, which gives the end product a higher level of material quality.

Compared to traditional manufacturing techniques, such as forging, WAAM offers greater speed of production, along with being able to support a higher degree of design complexity.

WAAM’s significant benefits were first realized in the automotive, aeronautical and military sectors. It is now the subsea supply chain solution for pressure vessel manufacturing.

Each of DML's individual robotic systems can produce metallic parts up to three meters in diameter, while the six-arm synchronized configuration supports the production of parts with volumes up to 6.1 meters in diameter and 3.2 meters in height.

Initially developed as a solution to the underwater pressure vessel manufacturing requirements of