Doosan Heavy Industries & Construction Completes Korea's Largest 3D Printing Fab Facility

Strengthening Manufacturing Competitiveness Using Metal 3D Printing Technology
Expanding Applications in Power, Aviation, and Defense Industries

3D Printing Dedicated Fab located at Doosan Heavy Industries Headquarters in Changwon, Gyeongnam
[Photo by Doosan Heavy Industries]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Heung-soon] Doosan Heavy Industries & Construction is expanding its 3D printing business to strengthen competitiveness in manufacturing.

On the 30th, Doosan Heavy Industries & Construction held a non-face-to-face completion ceremony for its dedicated 3D printing fab (manufacturing factory) at its headquarters in Changwon, Gyeongnam.

Previously, Doosan Heavy Industries & Construction has been applying 3D printing technology since 2014 to advance the production of power generation parts such as gas turbines. With a total of five metal 3D printers, including two recently added units, the company has established the largest dedicated 3D printing fab in Korea. It also owns the world's largest PBF-type metal 3D printer capable of producing parts sized 800×400×500 mm.

PBF (Powder Bed Fusion) is a metal 3D printing technology that involves spreading thin, flat layers of metal powder or other materials horizontally, then melting the material layer by layer using a high-power industrial laser or electron beam. 3D printing is a technology that manufactures parts by stacking and melting materials such as metal, ceramic, and plastic layer by layer with a laser. It can realize complex designs that are difficult to achieve with conventional machining technologies and offers advantages such as lightweight parts, reduced manufacturing costs, and shortened production times.

Song Yong-jin, Head of Strategy and Innovation at Doosan Heavy Industries & Construction, said, "Based on Doosan Heavy Industries & Construction’s design, material, and manufacturing technologies, we have become the only company in Korea capable of independently developing 3D printing processes for each metal material." He added, "We will create synergy by expanding the application of 3D printing technology not only for existing power generation parts but also into aerospace, defense industries, and more."

Meanwhile, Doosan Heavy Industries & Construction is currently supplying parts made with 3D printing technology for large power generation gas turbines and the domestically produced KF-21 prototype fighter jet, expanding the technology’s application across various fields.