ASX-listed additive manufacturing company 3D Metalforge has been recognised as a qualified manufacturing partner for Flowserve, one of the world’s largest manufacturers of industrial parts.
3D Metalforge’s Managing Director, Matthew Waterhouse, said the qualification comes after a successful virtual quality management system (QMS) audit by Flowserve’s APAC supply chain team and over 2 years of R&D collaboration.
“We have been working closely with Flowserve since 2018 supporting their additive manufacturing R&D efforts and offering faster response times than traditional supply routes for spare part replacement,” Mr Waterhouse said.
“Today’s qualification now accelerates 3D Metalforge’s commercial activities with Flowserve.”
Flowserve is a US$5.5bn company and one of the world’s largest manufacturers of pumps, valves and seals.
As a qualified manufacturing partner to Flowserve, 3D Metalforge will supply pump impellers in stainless steel to the company’s quick response centres (QRC) in the Asia Pacific region, which are strategically located at most major industrial customer locations around the world, allowing for rapid delivery of standard parts.
A pump impeller is an extremely common and high use rotating component of a centrifugal pump that accelerates fluid outward from the center of rotation, thus transferring energy from the motor that drives the pump to the fluid being pumped.
3D Metalforge, which recently unveiled plans to establish a flagship additive manufacturing facility in Houston, USA, said it would harness its supplier qualification and work towards expanding its services to multiple QRCs in the APAC region and extending the APAC approval to other regions like the US and EU.