---
title: "EOS 3D printing unlocks new paradigm for spare parts in oil & gas"
url: https://www.voxelmatters.com/eos-3d-printing-new-paradigm-spare-parts-oil-gas/
date: 2026-01-12
modified: 2026-01-12
lang: en
author: "Tess Boissonneault"
description: "Across various industries like aerospace, defense, energy, and transport, additive manufacturing technologies are paving the way to greater efficiency and supply chain resilience, particularly where spare parts are involved. The..."
categories:
  - "AM for Energy"
  - "Case Studies"
  - "Oil and Gas"
tags:
  - "top news"
image: https://www.voxelmatters.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/3d-printed-check-valve-eos-640x480.jpeg
word_count: 618
---

# EOS 3D printing unlocks new paradigm for spare parts in oil & gas

Across various industries like aerospace, defense, energy, and transport, additive manufacturing technologies are paving the way to greater efficiency and supply chain resilience, particularly where spare parts are involved. The technology, used in combination with reverse engineering tools and digital twin models, can reproduce missing or hard-to-source parts on demand, minimizing system downtimes and reliance on complex supply chains. In a recent case study from [EOS](https://www.voxelmatters.directory/company/eos/), this new, more agile paradigm for spare parts enabled by 3D printing is illustrated in the context of [oil and gas](https://www.voxelmatters.com/category/industry/energy/oil-and-gas/).

A global provider of valve services teamed up with EOS' Additive Minds consultancy to leverage polymer LPBF in the production of critical valve components, all in the interest of building a more resilient, flexible, and cost efficient workflow, while still meeting the strict requirements of the industry. This partnership was focused on check valves, a type of component used in produced water pipelines. Produced water (wastewater generated as a byproduct of oil and gas extraction) can contain highly corrosive salts and chemicals and thus pipeline valves are typically made from highly corrosion-resistant materials. Even when made from expensive metals like super duplex steel, however, the components need to be replaced every six months.

The frequency of valve changes was resulting in maintenance challenges, including the requirement to keep a large inventory stock of spare parts, as well as exceptionally long lead times (52 weeks+) when spare parts were not immediately available. As EOS stated: "The combination of high replacement frequency, massive inventory requirements, and a precarious supply chain resulted in exorbitant costs."

[![EOS 3D printing unlocks new paradigm for spare parts in oil & gas](https://www.voxelmatters.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/3d-printed-check-valve-eos-2.jpeg)](https://www.voxelmatters.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/3d-printed-check-valve-eos-2.jpeg)

The valve services company therefore began to explore the use of AM for this application. In first tests, polymer 3D printed parts failed during high-pressure gas testing, reportedly exploding when they reached 325 psi. Working with EOS' Additive Minds team, however, AM's potential was realized thanks to advanced design and materials.

Using a simulation-driven design approach, the partners came up with a check valve design that could meet the demanding requirements of the produced water pipeline. This approach, which combined material science, advanced topology optimization, simulation, and testing, eventually landed on an optimal solution: a 3D printed valve made from EOS PA 2200—a Nylon 12 known for its strength, rigidity, and chemical resistance—that could reduce maximum stress from 58 MPa to less than 27.5 MPa.

The part's design was optimized for loads, constraints, and boundaries using topology optimization software and was ultimately printed on a high-productivity EOS P 396 machine. The printed components were then finished using DyeMansion's vaporfuse smoothing technology, which gave the valves a water-tight and bubble-tight seal.

[![EOS 3D printing unlocks new paradigm for spare parts in oil & gas](https://www.voxelmatters.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/3d-printed-check-valve-eos-3.jpeg)](https://www.voxelmatters.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/3d-printed-check-valve-eos-3.jpeg)Other spare parts 3D printed using EOS technology

In the end, the redesigned 3D printed check valve met necessary standards (API 598 and API 6D) and passed all tests, including hydrostatic shell and seat tests up to 450 psi and 325 psi, respectively. Bubble-tight properties were also proven in extended-duration air and high-pressure nitrogen gas tests. Finally, after an hour-long extended duration hydrostatic tests at maximum load, the printed part showed no signs of creep or plastic deformation. Other benefits compared to the original component included a 15% reduction in part weight and a total cost of ownership reduction of at least 30%.

From a workflow perspective, the switch to EOS 3D printing resulted in a major lead time reduction: from 52 weeks for the original metal component to just one week. The hope is that this process, proven for the check valve part, will lead to the streamlining of other spare parts and the establishment of a comprehensive digital spare part program for the oil and gas valve provider, which will eliminate the need for vast inventories and the reliance on complex supply chains.