At a large production facility like Arcelor Mittal Ghent, spare parts management is very costly. Most of the time, complex tailor-made parts are used to replace the original part that is only slightly damaged.
To reduce spare parts and resulting waste, we developed a solution based on WAAM technology (Wire & Arc Additive Manufacturing), which allows metal components to be created by a standard welding robot using welding electrodes, for the company Guaranteed on the site of Arcelor Mittal. Just as with other 3D printing techniques, we are able to produce unique items in a cost-effective manner compared with conventional production processes. WAAM makes it possible to repair parts that otherwise would be thrown away. Our method encourages the circular use of materials and reduces the need to produce and transport spare parts. Damaged components can be repaired rather than scrapped, and the requirement for raw materials is reduced as we can print the required form more exactly, with less finishing work required.
As the main contractor, Actemium successfully installed the first WAAM technology for the Arcelor Mittal central workshop; it has been in production for 10 months.
