Doosan acquires EOS M 400-4 to additively manufacture gas turbine nozzles
February 12, 2025
Doosan Enerbility, based in Changwon, Korea, has acquired an EOS M 400-4 Laser Beam Powder Bed Fusion (PBF-LB) Additive Manufacturing machine for the production of gas turbine nozzles, a critical component used to achieve precise air-fuel mixing for cleaner combustion.
This addition comes in response to the energy sector’s shift towards cleaner, more efficient technologies in line with increasingly stringent government guidelines on pollution and air quality. For large-scale enterprises like Doosan, meeting these regulations may require more than just a few tweaks to traditional manufacturing, explains EOS in a recently published case study.
Gas turbines, which play a central role in power generation, require incredibly complex internal designs to ensure cleaner combustion and lower emissions. Conventional methods like casting and CNC machining often fall short of delivering the required level of detail. These methods also tend to also have aspects (e.g. assembling components made in multiple parts, post-processing) that necessarily drive up cost and production time, states EOS.
By using STS 321 stainless steel, a material noted for its durability at high temperatures and Additive Manufacturing, Doosan was able to produce components able to withstand the conditions of power generation whilst preventing intergranular corrosion. This meant that unmixed fuel was reduced by 68%, bringing NOx emissions down to 15 ppm and CO emissions to 10 ppm.
“The high productivity and utilisation of the EOS M 400-4 have led to remarkable customer satisfaction, thanks to its quality, reliability, the use of optical tomography, and excellent technical support provided, such as field service and technology downloads,” stated Doosan Enerbility’s AM Business Team.
Doosan hopes that their success can act as a playbook for how companies everywhere can adapt to new regulations while staying ahead of the technological curve. By cutting production lead times and streamlining operations, companies can focus more on research and development, speeding up innovation. For example, Doosan reportedly cut production lead time by 50%.
Doosan is currently exploring EOS technology for other turbine components, like blades and vanes.
The full Doosan Enerbility and EOS case study is available here.
