Singapore, 9 October 2025 – The Additive Manufacturing Innovation Centre (AMIC) in Nanyang Polytechnic, in collaboration with the Advanced Manufacturing Design Centre under ST Engineering’s Commercial Aerospace business unit, has completed a research study focused on optimising 3D printing parameters of Stainless Steel 254 (SS254) in Singapore tailored to maritime, oil & gas and power generation applications. This project, funded by the National Additive Manufacturing Innovation Cluster (NAMIC), aims to strengthen Singapore’s capabilities in producing high-performance, additively manufactured critical components that can withstand harsh high-chloride environments, such as below -50°C and above 250°C, with corrosion resistance on par with nickel superalloys.
The collaborative effort has yielded critical insights into laser powder bed fusion process parameters that influence geometry accuracy, mechanical performance, and part quality. These findings provide a valuable foundation for industrial adoption of additive manufacturing (AM) in parts of mission-critical applications such as subsea structures, ship components, and oilfield equipment.
Dr. Zheng Guoying, Head, Advanced Manufacturing Design Centre, ST Engineering, said: “This study marks a key step forward in bringing additive manufacturing to applications under extreme environment where superior performance and high reliability is required, especially in the marine and offshore industries. By optimising and validating process parameters for the material SS254, AM solution is an effective alternative to the traditional SS254 parts with simplified material and manufacturing process as well as better consistency, paving the way for sustainable, high-performance solutions that address critical spare parts challenges faced by industry players.”
Project Highlights:
- Material Focus: SS254 is a super austenitic stainless-steel alloy that is known for strong corrosion resistance, superior resistance to stress-corrosion cracking and high tensile strength particularly in high-chloride environments. It offers a more-economic alternative to nickel and titanium alloys.
- Process Optimisation: Over 5 parameter settings were evaluated on EOS M290, to identify the optimal processing window for robust part mechanical performance and quality that meets the requirements for high-criticality applications.
- Application Relevance: Results demonstrated that parts produced under the optimised parameters meets performance benchmarks relevant to maritime and oil & gas requirements. The mechanical properties can reach a yield strength of 600 MPa, meeting the requirements stipulated in standards such as API 6A/6D, API 5CRA, API 17F/17D, ISO 3506-1, etc.
The results of the project not only provide an evaluation of the feasibility of printing SS254 but also support the development of digital part inventories, on-demand manufacturing, and sustainable production strategies by offering an alternative cost-saving method of manufacturing SS254 for the maritime, energy and offshore applications.
“This initiative underscores NAMIC’s commitment to advancing additive manufacturing as a transformative enabler for industrial applications. It exemplifies how Singapore is driving innovation at the intersection of research and real-world applications, delivering outcomes that will shape the future of manufacturing in critical sectors such as maritime and oil & gas. By advancing materials and additive manufacturing processes, we are strengthening Singapore’s position as a global innovation hub, paving the way for greater industry resilience, sustainability and competitiveness.”, said Dr Ho Chaw Sing, CEO, NAMIC.
Looking ahead, the project collaborators plan to build on the findings by progressing to part qualification, field trials, and collaborating with end-users for commercial production.
About NAMIC
The National Additive Manufacturing Innovation Cluster (NAMIC) is a national platform hosted by the Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), supported by the National Research Foundation. NAMIC aims to accelerate the adoption of hybrid and digital additive manufacturing technologies under Singapore’s Manufacturing and Economy 2030 Vision, helping industries transform towards innovation and high value-added manufacturing using sustainably sourced, nature-based designs and cradle-to-cradle on-demand manufacturing. NAMIC achieves this by focusing on value capture and creation through an industry sectoral engagement approach, leveraging public-private partnerships and R&D investments, supporting translational research, and accelerating industry test-bedding towards commercial scale-up. More information can be found at https://namic.sg.
About Additive Manufacturing Innovation Centre
The Additive Manufacturing Innovation Centre (AMIC) is a Centre of Excellence for Additive Manufacturing Technology & Design Innovations set up jointly by the Singapore Economic Development Board and Nanyang Polytechnic (NYP), located in NYP. The strategic intents of AMIC are to support national AM initiatives to drive greater industry AM adoption and develop core capabilities in Design for AM optimisation and process innovation.
About ST Engineering
ST Engineering is a global technology, defence and engineering group with a diverse portfolio of businesses across the aerospace, smart city, defence and public security segments. The Group harnesses technology and innovation to solve real-world problems, enabling a more secure and sustainable world. Headquartered in Singapore, it has operations spanning Asia, Europe, the Middle East and the U.S., serving customers in more than 100 countries. ST Engineering reported revenue of over $11b in FY2024 and ranks among the largest companies listed on the Singapore Exchange. It is a component stock of MSCI Singapore, FTSE Straits Times Index and Dow Jones Best-in-Class Asia Pacific Index.
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