The use of additive manufacturing to rapidly test and evaluate solutions to engineering problems has been demonstrated. Selective laser sintering (SLS) is a subset of additive manufacturing that is particularly well suited to producing structural thin wall models and end use parts which can improve the ability to prototype and manufacture certain designs at a substantially lower cost and time compared to current methods. However, a more comprehensive understanding of the material properties of these parts is warranted. The presented research investigates the influence of print orientation and sample thickness on the material properties of printed SLS parts. This novel work involves holding a hatch pattern constant across SLS prints using polyamide 12 material to isolate the anisotropic effects of orientation and thickness. An evaluation of ultimate tensile strength, modulus of elasticity, strain at failure, yield strength, and Poisson’s ratio, and scanning electron microscope fractography are conducted. Transverse strain and Poisson’s ratio are a key aspect that provide insight into the feasibility of building numerical orthotropic models. These data are used to calculate the degree of anisotropy due to both thickness and orientation. The results support the future use of SLS printing and modeling of thin-walled structures, such as scaled structural ship modeling. The presented data provide guidance on the impact of print orientation and thickness that will aid in manufacturing structural parts with intentionally tuned material properties.

The proposal of this paper is to share the knowledge learned in this new procedure and techniques implemented in HP/HT Unconventional wells, created by the Unconventional (UC) Drilling Department at Abu Dhabi which involve around ten different services, where each has a high importance and contribution for the collective success of the well at the moment to frac and hence the feasibility of the project. In order to assure the integrity and accessibility of the Frac String during Plug and Perf hydraulic fracturing operations of one of the toughest rock in Unconventional business worldwide, one procedure has been developed for running operations best practices. Pressure testing the Frac String (FS) during running in hole in stages while in vertical section to sure safe and successful Wireline setting and retrieving nipples plug with more than 30% solids in the system (high mud weight) to guarantee no leak in the string prior reaching total depth (TD). Hanging and testing cross over (XO), assuring compatibility with the wellhead connections. Cementing up to18.7 ppg. Flexible and expandable slurries, cement inside previous casing and apply pressure on surface to avoid gas percolation during the cement setting period. Cleaning out with Coiled tubing (CT) to ensure no obstruction and using different completion fluids for future accessibility. And finally, Pressure testing the Frac string up to 14ksi all are new practices and proven mitigation measures for all assessed risks for hydraulic fracturing operations. This paper is about sharing this new procedure in Abu Dhabi for having a cemented FS in UC wells High Pressure / High Temperature (HP/HT) with 100% integrity and internal accessibility to run plugs, perforations, logs and be able to apply high surface pressure to frac the tight reservoir in the planned zone, creating the desired permeability for future production.

Additive manufacturing is rapidly evolving and finding a place in nearly every industry. Recent advances make selective laser sintering especially well positioned to rapidly create complex parts with material properties capable of withstanding rigorous end use applications. However, these properties still pale in comparison to their metal powder bed fusion counterparts and can be plagued by anisotropy due to print orientation. This can be especially true for large parts with relatively thin structural walls. Combining selective laser sintering with metal electroplating has shown promise to increase both strength and isotropy. While traditional metal–polymer hybrid composites have struggled to maintain consistent properties across varying geometries, this work demonstrates control over material properties at scales previously not possible, enabling a new class of lightweight structures with improved survivability. This novel research has experimentally found the tensile properties and isotropy of different electroplating coatings and investigates techniques that can be used to increase coating adhesion and uniformity over the rough non-conductive printed part surface. It is shown that though both the printed and electroplated material are individually anisotropic, the combination of printing and subsequent electroplating can improve overall build direction isotropy. This research represents a shift in additive manufacturing by transforming what was once considered a limitation of SLS printing—thin-wall anisotropy—into an opportunity for creating customized material properties through strategic metal deposition but also opens up new design spaces where minimum weight and minimum volume design trajectories are needed.