AMA: Energy 2026: How Addept3D Sees the Gap Between AM Value and Industrial Adoption in Energy

Why It Matters

The gap between AM’s demonstrated cost benefits and its limited industrial rollout threatens to slow the energy sector’s drive for faster, lighter, and more efficient assets, making trust‑building and certification critical for future competitiveness.

Key Takeaways

• Equinor achieved roughly $100 million savings via its AM program.
• Large metal AM parts stay in proof‑of‑concept, not production.
• Certification, inspection and logistics add significant cost and delay.
• Small, hands‑on pilot projects are key to gaining stakeholder trust.
• Systematic defect detection is essential for qualifying critical components.

Pulse Analysis

Additive manufacturing has moved from a niche curiosity to a cost‑saving tool in energy, with firms like Equinor reporting around $100 million in reductions. However, most deployments still focus on small powder‑bed‑fusion (PBF) parts under 300 mm, while the sector’s most valuable components—large pressure vessels, turbine blades, and complex pipework—remain in laboratory trials. This disparity stems from the steep capital outlay for directed‑energy deposition (DED) machines and the perception that larger builds carry higher failure risk.

Beyond hardware costs, the energy industry faces a labyrinth of certification and inspection hurdles. Standards such as API 20S and DNV B203 are still evolving to address the unique microstructures and defect profiles of 3D‑printed metal. Large‑scale non‑destructive testing often requires specialized X‑ray or ultrasonic equipment located overseas, inflating logistics expenses and causing customs delays. Consequently, senior managers demand extensive reliability data and clear defect‑mitigation strategies before signing off on production, reinforcing a culture of risk aversion.

The path forward hinges on incremental, trust‑building projects. By selecting a narrow material family—such as impellers—and rigorously qualifying each iteration, firms can demonstrate repeatable performance and gradually expand to forging‑grade properties. Openly sharing build failures, defect classifications, and corrective actions helps align internal KPIs across maintenance, sourcing, and asset teams. With sustained executive support and a disciplined pilot approach, additive manufacturing can transition from proof‑of‑concept to a mainstream production method, unlocking faster lead times and lighter, more efficient energy infrastructure.