Dubai Electricity & Water Authority (DEWA) has announced that it has saved AED 509,658 (approx. $138,000) during 2021-2022. The authority produced over 1,800 spare parts for the generation, transmission, and distribution divisions at its R&D Centre, cutting down on the effort and time required to replace the spare parts. The average time taken to provide spare parts using additive manufacturing is just four days, which supports DEWA’s operations.
DEWA Managing Director & CEO Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer says, “We work in line with the vision and directives of HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, to keep pace with the disruptive technologies of the Fourth Industrial Revolution and to provide world-class services that improve the quality of life in Dubai. DEWA supports the Dubai 3D Printing Strategy, which aims to harness this promising technology to serve humanity and enhance the position of the UAE and Dubai as a global hub for the development of 3D printing technologies by 2030. We are keen to develop 3D printing and other innovative technologies through our R&D Centre that are used internally to print spare parts for devices and equipment. This reduces procurement time and cost, extends the lifespan of these devices, and promotes innovation at DEWA.”
Al Tayer also pointed out that the R&D Centre is equipped with multiple 3D printing systems that can manufacture spare parts for DEWA’s different service units, utilizing over 20 materials covering various engineering applications, including metal and high-performance thermoplastics.
Waleed Bin Salman, Executive Vice president of Business Development and Excellence at DEWA, explained that DEWA adopts 3D printing technology as an innovative solution for building models and manufacturing spare parts internally. He also stated that technical sectors around the world are facing many challenges such as equipment obsolescence and dearth in manufacture or sale of spare parts that come with a higher cost to replace the entire system.
Located at Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park, DEWA’s R&D Centre has filed 23 patents since its launch, of which six have been granted, and amongst them three are specifically related to 3D printing. The centre has also published 157 research papers in international conferences, peer-reviewed journals, and publications, of which 14 are on 3D printing.
DEWA’s R&D Centre adopts the latest 3D printing technologies, including metallic 3D printing using threads and wires, and reinforced plastic printers using a combination of carbon fibre and fibreglass. The centre also enhances the capabilities of DEWA’s engineers and researchers in 3D printing through training sessions and workshops conducted in cooperation with major global companies and institutions.
