Dubai, UAE – Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) in the UAE has recently announced that its 3D printing efforts have resulted in significant cost savings of AED 509,658 ($137,000) during the years 2021 and 2022.
The organization successfully produced over 1,800 spare parts for various divisions including generation, transmission, and distribution at its Research and Development (R&D) Centre. This technology not only saves time and effort required for part replacement but also supports DEWA’s operational efficiency.
The company supports the Dubai 3D Printing strategy, which aims to leverage this promising technology to position the UAE as a global hub for 3D printing technology development.
DEWA’s R&D Centre is committed to advancing 3D printing, additive manufacturing, and other innovative technologies internally, particularly in the production of spare parts for devices and equipment. This approach reduces procurement time and costs, extends the lifespan of devices, and fosters innovation within DEWA.
Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, MD and CEO of DEWA, emphasized the significance of the 3D printing centre at the R&D Centre, equipped with multiple 3D printing systems capable of manufacturing spare parts for different business units.
The centre employs more than 20 materials suitable for various engineering applications, including metal and high-performance thermoplastics.
Waleed Bin Salman, Executive Vice President of Business Development and Excellence at DEWA, highlighted the adoption of 3D printing as an innovative solution for model-building and internal spare part manufacturing. He pointed out the challenges faced by technical sectors worldwide, such as equipment obsolescence or the unavailability of specific spare parts, which often necessitate costly system replacements.
DEWA’s R&D Centre at the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park has already filed 23 patents, with six of them granted. Among the filed patents, three are specifically related to 3D printing. The Centre has also published 157 research papers in international conferences, peer-reviewed journals, and publications, with 14 of them focused on 3D printing.
The Centre continually enhances the capabilities of DEWA’s engineers and researchers in 3D printing and additive manufacturing through workshops and training sessions in collaboration with major global companies and institutions. It incorporates the latest 3D printing technologies, including metal printers and reinforced plastic printers utilizing a combination of carbon fibre and fibreglass.