Framatome accelerates the industrial implementation of Advanced Additive Manufacturing
Over the past 15 years, Framatome has developed unique expertise in the field of advanced additive manufacturing for the nuclear industry. Several components from these technologies have been introduced in commercial reactors. With these achievements, Framatome strengthens its position as a leader in additive manufacturing for nuclear.
This expertise in these new technologies, supported by its 65 years of nuclear experience, allows Framatome to offer its customers a unique offer:
- With nuclear boiler know-how at the service of Additive Manufacturing
- Applied Additive Manufacturing with technical standards and nuclear quality
- Manufacture by Additive Manufacturing components with dimensions ranging from a few mm to a few meters
“Our ambition is to provide our customers with safer and more efficient equipment. Additive manufacturing allows a stable and repeatable quality for our manufacturing, in some cases to reduce lead times with a positive impact on costs. It also allows us to diversify our manufacturing routes or internalize manufacturing. We have already significantly increased the range of sizes and geometrical complexities addressable through additive manufacturing.”
Mohamed Zouari, Senior Manager, Head of Advanced Additive Manufacturing Center
Framatome masters a wide range of additive manufacturing processes:
Caption:
SLM : Selective Laser Melting (L-PBF)
LMD : Laser Metal Deposition
WAAM : Wire Arc Additive Manufacturing
CS : Cold Spray
MBJ : Metal Binder Jetting
HIP : Hot Isostatic Pressure
PTA : Plasma Transfer Arc
Framatome’s range of advanced additive manufacturing know-how covers a wide spectrum of part sizes, from a few millimeters to several meters, and geometric complexities. Framatome has developed skills on most additive and advanced manufacturing techniques that the group gradually brings to industrial maturity through rigorous qualification processes.
Industrial applications already identified by customers
Framatome customers already benefit from concrete applications
Fuel component printed in L-PBF ((Laser powder bed fusion) by Framatome introduced in reactor at Forsmark in Sweden in 2022
Primary circuit elbow manufactured in multi-ton HIP (Hot Isostatic Pressure) process
L-PBF (Laser powder bed fusion) printed fuel channel attachment introduced at Brown Ferry in spring 2021
Reactor Coolant Pump (RCP) wheel printed in WAAM (Wire Arc Additive Manufacturing) process
Steam Generator Tranquilizer Sphere printed in L-PBF (Laser powder bed fusion)
A community of experts in additive manufacturing
Advanced Additive Manufacturing at Framatome combines the know-how and skills of more than 70 experts, engineers, and technicians. This international community is growing.
The added values of additive manufacturing identified by Framatome are:
- Production of components with controlled quality and reduced time and costs
- The ability to quickly build alternative production roads to secure the supply chain and produce maintenance parts quickly
- Design optimization to improve component performance
70
expert engineers and technicians working on advanced additive manufacturing.
15 years
of experience in advanced
additive manufacturing
for nuclear
10+
grades of
printed materials
6
additive manufacturing
processes for reactor
applications
“If additive manufacturing opens the door to design optimizations, Framatome must be. If we can apply it to pressurized components, Framatome will be.”
Gilles Perrin, Scientific Director of Framatome