Korean Register (KR) has awarded a manufacturing process certificate to Korean company AM Solutions for its laser wire directed energy deposition (LW-DED) additive manufacturing repair technology.
The certification marks the first time in South Korea that a classification society has certified a process using additive manufacturing, commonly known as ‘3D printing’, to repair damaged metal structures, extending the technology’s application beyond the production of new parts to maintenance and repair.
KR said the certification follows the publication of the International Association of Classification Societies (IACS) Recommendation No. 186 covering additively manufactured metallic parts for marine and offshore applications. The society has since updated its own additive manufacturing guidelines and introduced a certification framework covering materials, processes, products and manufacturing methods, including repairs to existing metal structures.
The LW-DED process uses a laser to melt metal wire and deposit it layer by layer onto damaged areas, allowing only the affected section to be restored rather than replacing the entire component.
“This certification marks an important step in expanding additive manufacturing repair technology beyond newly manufactured parts to existing metallic structures,” said Kim Sang-Soo, Senior Vice President of KR’s Naval Business Centre.
“We expect it to provide a new solution for maintaining and repairing high-value equipment and structures in the defence and shipbuilding sectors.”
