Ivaldi Group
Making Spare Parts Logistics more Sustainable and Cost-effective

In the heavy-duty industrial arena, manufacturers operate extremely large machinery in their daily workf lows; even the slightest lapse in any equipment can disrupt process execution, lead to heavy losses and unplanned downtime. For instance, a ship stranded at a port due to lack of clearance for a faulty radio system can incur thousands of dollars in docking charges alone. In certain extreme cases, depending on the age of the equipment, parts may not be available as the Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEM) does not exist anymore or has stopped manufacturing the spare, forcing companies to replace the entire machine. As most equipment is built using several tools and components of varying sizes and functionalities, sometimes procured from different parts of the world, immediate availability of a spare is rarely the case.

To aid such companies, Espen Sivertsen, an early adopter and entrepreneur in the 3D printing arena, decided to build a logistics management system that would redefine how industries procure and transport the spare parts they need, making the process more cost-efficient and sustainable at the same time. Sivertsen turned his vision into reality and founded Ivaldi Group, a Software and Services platform company enabling companies to order relevant spare parts locally and on-demand. Ivaldi takes advantage of quickly transforming 3D printing technologies and other on-demand production tools to modernize traditional logistics systems. “We take advantage of the fact that 3D printing technologies are getting faster, better, and cheaper. These developments help our customers streamline their inventory,” says Sivertsen, Founder and CEO at Ivaldi Group.

The trend of taking supply chains digital is inevitable, however irrespective of the advantages that local, on-demand manufacturing offers, the timing is prime to ignite the shift, especially as digital models start to make more sense and become more economically feasible. In order to lower the hurdle for industrial players to leverage the technology, Ivaldi collaborates with companies such as SAP to enable large industries such as maritime, mining, energy, and others to adopt digital production and distribution of spares through advanced 3D printing techniques as part of the current system portfolio.

Because industry executives view on-demand manufacturing as a great opportunity, but often question where to start, the solution integrates with the existing supply chain and other ERP data streams, or leverage inventory and procurement data dumps to help analyze and identify spares that are recommendable for on-demand manufacturing from a cost, time or carbon reduction perspective.

Once the selection process is complete, the parts are scanned, and designs and other information such as manuals are stored in a digital inventory. When a spare is needed, users can access the digital file and send it to print with one of Ivaldi’s qualified manufacturers. Verified by Ivaldi, these additive manufacturing companies can produce a spare part faster and make it available locally, saving companies from the hassle, carry costs and wait of purchasing parts from the remote corners of the world. In addition, local production also reduces logistics costs due to lesser freight and shipping charges as well as a reduced need to keep storage. “Our clients not only save time but also reduce carbon footprint,” elucidates Sivertsen.

If a part is owned by a third party, Ivaldi enforces relevant safety measures to avoid copyright infringements litigation. Ivaldi has developed a set of certification guidelines together with premier safety authorities from the maritime and offshore industry. The company assures that the right type and quality materials are used in spare part production. The part design is sent to an authorized local 3D printing company verified by experts from Ivaldi.

Ivaldi’s software and services platform enables large industries such as maritime, mining, energy, and others to adopt digital distribution and on-demand manufacturing of spare parts through advanced 3D printing techniques

Provided the right parts are selected, t his process f low enables faster and cost-effective production and delivery. OEMs can access a new line of operation and collect profits for royalties . Even though more than half of industrial spares typically can be manufactured on-demand, Ivaldi typically identifies between three to eleven percent of their customers parts inventory for digital distribution. By selecting the parts that reduce the total cost of ownership as well as time and carbon footprint, customers are able to take out return on investment earlier which again motivates the transition. To ensure top-quality, Ivaldi employs the best field engineers that are experienced and capable in not only understanding a part in pre-production but also are well-versed in developing and installing them according to specifications and with accuracy. “We have built a stringent quality control system and certification tracker along with some of the leading industry class authorities, assuring that our clients consistently produce good parts that meet all quality requirements,” expresses Sivertsen.

When it comes to both employees and clients, Ivaldi believes in building trust as a core principle. As transparency is critical to set up a spare parts supply chain management system rapidly, Ivaldi goes all out to demonstrate the quality behind its brand and allows clients to breathe easy by enabling them to meet their production demands in a cost-effective, continuous, and dependable manner. Ivaldi also sets a work culture standard that is diverse and equal, including individuals from all walks of life. “We are sixty percent women and people of colour in the company. Three out of five of our executives are female,” says Sivertsen. Ivaldi believes this type of approach allows them to be much stronger as a company in terms of ambition and ability. Used repeatedly in combination with Ivaldi’s creative problem-solving methods, the company can thoroughly study supply chain-related issues and deliver solutions that are intuitive and adaptive to manufacturing operations. “If a company requires a creative solution, we believe it is important to have a diverse set of eyes to look at problems from a number of angles,” says Sivertsen.

As 3D printing techniques continue to evolve, many companies have entered the forte, increasing the competition to establish a strong foothold with the industry. At this juncture, Ivaldi has built a proprietary search algorithm for users to efficiently complete the otherwise tough-to-handle identification of parts that are suitable for on-demand digital distribution and cloud-enabled manufacturing. “A company may not really find it viable to go through millions of parts line by line and try to do the calculations, make 3d models and upload all the data; whereas, with our software, you can do that in a very straightforward manner,” comments Sivertsen.

In many cases, clients possess equipment that is very old and includes parts that are hard to procure through a direct source. “For such cases, we collaborate with our clients’ teams to perform reverse engineering. The partnership also stresses part customization,” comments Sivertsen. To guarantee the legitimacy of the part in the production, Ivaldi works very closely with its partners to prevent any violation.

Empowering manufacturers to save resources through the unique utilization of 3D printing and other on-demand production tools, Ivaldi strives to create the world’s first digital, net-zero supply chain platform for the spare part aftermarket. By allowing a manufacturer, or OEM to send a digital file using Ivaldi’s digital supply chain platform to facilitate local production, companies can reduce their related carbon footprint by up to 90%, and at the same time stimulate local value and job creation.

Focused on enabling onshore and offshore companies to switch from physical to digital distribution, Ivaldi will further enhance its services to deliver a quality spare parts aftermarket supply chain process workf low. “Our mission is to help companies take that step into the digital world and streamline their day-to-day spare parts supply chain workf low,” concludes Sivertsen.