ENGIE obtains quality recognition for AM powder lab and facility
On 24 October, ENGIE received recognised approval for its Additive Manufacturing (AM) facility and powder laboratory. The company obtained this recognition from none other than the independent assessment business Lloyd’s Register and owes its success to the efforts of ENGIE Laborelec, the research and expertise centre for electrical power technologies, and ENGIE Fabricom, the unit specialising in the design, implementation and maintenance of multi-technical installations and services.
The recognition is great news for the AM world, as it makes ENGIE Laborelec one of the first powder labs in the world to achieve a qualification for an AM alloy. Of course, they only got their hands on it after a thorough audit and assessment of the equipment, personnel, processes and procedures of the ENGIE Fabricom laboratory at Zwijndrecht by Lloyd’s Register expert, Milena Matijasevic-Clarke. In her view, this is an important step towards the validation and certification of high-end components.
Lloyd’s Register expert was particularly impressed by the combination of the expertise offered by ENGIE Laborelec and ENGIE Fabricom, which guarantees process stability and repeatability of their first alloy (selective laser melted SLM316L). The audit convinced her that ENGIE Laborelec and ENGIE Fabricom have a professional and pragmatic team with expert knowledge of the Powder Bed Fusion process. Also, according to Coralie Goffin, Director Centralized Generation Department at ENGIE Laborelec, this facility qualification is proof of ENGIE’s expertise in the many facets of the SLM technology and their constant pursuit of excellent quality. Pieter Hertogs, Section Manager Maintenance, Services & Products at ENGIE Fabricom Zwijndrecht, adds that with the support of Lloyd’s Register in helping drive high quality AM work, AM will soon become an integral part of the ENGIE group’s service offerings.
Lloyd’s Register and ENGIE Laborelec have been working together for three years as part of a joint industry project led by Lloyd’s Register and The Welding Institute. Both organisations are now working towards parts certification for new materials.
More information about ENGIE Laborelec and ENGIE Fabricom can be found on their website. More information about the AM services and facility qualification of Lloyd’s Register can be found on this website.