As part of our Maritime AM focus month, we want to highlight a niche but important application area for additive manufacturing: boats. While much of the attention on 3D printing in the maritime sector is on the advantages of agile part repair and replacement using advanced technologies like DED, 3D printed boats themselves are a very interesting corner of the segment, which we have covered extensively over the years.

Large-format AM technologies and composite materials have proven very useful in developing and manufacturing boat structures, such as hulls, and other boat features. The technology has offered many benefits on this front, including reduced material waste, greater design freedom, faster turnaround times since there is no need for tooling and greater customization opportunities—a benefit that is particularly appealing in the luxury boat market.

While we’ll be looking at some more recent 3D print boat use cases in this article, we do want to first mention some of the first breakthrough projects in the field, like OCore’s first 3D printed sailboat hull and the record-breaking 3Dirigo boat, fully 3D printed by a team at UMaine. You can read more about earlier 3D printed boat projects in this Voxelmatters article from 2020. Now, without further ado, let’s dive in to some of the more recent 3D printed boat projects.

The first electric 3D printed abra

Last year, Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) trialled the first 3D printed electric abra on the Dubai Creek. For those unfamiliar with the term, an abra is a traditional boat used to transport people along the Dubai waterway. Today, abras remain a functional form of transit as well as a popular tourist activity in the UAE city. Traditionally, the water taxis are constructed entirely from wood, however the RTA’s newest version of the boats, developed in collaboration with CEAD, integrates a 3D printed monocoque structure combined with wooden elements.

The 3D printed boat is designed to carry up to 20 passengers and reportedly reduces abra manufacturing time by a whopping 90% and costs by 30%. Notably, the 11-meter-long boat is completely electric, integrating an electric propulsion system powered by two 10-kilowatt motors and lithium batteries. “The trial operation of the electric abra manufactured using 3D printing technology, along with the improvement of traditional abra stations project, is part of RTA’s master plan to enhance the marine transport services, a vital mobility means in Dubai, adding much value to the maritime transport sector,” said Mattar Al Tayer, Director General and Chairman of the Board of Executive Directors of the RTA, at the time of the trial launch in 2024.

Developing a HDPE Workboat

Netherlands-based Damen Compact Crafts, part of the Damen Shipyards Group, recently partnered up with large-format 3D printing specialist CEAD to develop a high-density polyethylene (HDPE) workboat, which could be used for patrol, harbour, survey and diving operations. While still in development (the partners only announced this project a few months ago), the HDPE workboat will leverage AM technology and CEAD’s HDPro material, a fully recyclable high-performance material developed for maritime applications.

The boat project, known as HWB, is interested in determining the impact of using large-format AM in terms of turnaround times, sustainability and production flexibility. Specifically, CEAD’s technology will be used to print the hull of the boat using the recyclable material. “Innovation and standardization are part of our DNA at Damen,” said Nick Pruissen, Managing Director at Damen Compact Crafts. “3D printing allows us to respond more quickly and flexibly to what our customers really need. It’s an exciting step toward smart, sustainable solutions that work.” The HDPE workboat is being developed at CEAD’s Maritime Application Center (MAC) in Delft.

The MAC ONE boat hull

The most recent boat we’re talking about was also developed at CEAD’s Maritime Application Center in the Netherlands. This boat project, known as the MAC ONE, has been conceived, tried and tested by CEAD’s very own co-founder Maarten Logtenberg.

The MAC ONE boat hull was made using CEAD’s HDPro material with 25% glass fiber reinforcement and reportedly took a total of 82 hours to 3D print. The printing process integrated several automated systems and used patented support pins to ensure that overhangs could be printed without any human intervention. The hull also integrates a number of innovative design features, including double-curved surfaces that would be difficult, if not impossible, to realize using more traditional boat building methods, as well as a self-bailing deck, integrated fuel tank zone, cable gutters and seating areas. Other components, like the console and leaning post, were also 3D printed (though separately) and then welded onto the hull using HDPro filler and thermoplastic extrusion welding.

Overall, the use case demonstrates how large-format 3D printing and CEAD’s specific maritime production workflow can be used to develop and manufacture durable, lightweight boating vessels that could be used for recreational or commercial use.

3D printed yacht superstructures

Earlier this year, luxury yacht manufacturer Ferretti Group turned to technology from Italian large-format AM specialist Caracol to create key superstructures for the Pershing GTX116, a super-fast luxury motor yacht. Specifically, Ferretti used Caracol’s Heron robotic AM system to 3D print air grilles and windshield visors for the luxury vessel, achieving significant part weight reduction, and improvements in strength and aerodynamics. Moreover, Ferretti benefited from minimized production times and material waste.

The aerodynamic grilles were made on the Heron 300 system using a 3 mm nozzle and an ASA composite reinforced with 20% glass fiber. The entire printing process for each of these structures—which measure 4,200 x 400 x 400 mm and weigh 40 kg—took 72 hours. Notably, these superstructures are typically manufactured using fiberglass lamination on molds, a labor intensive process that requires multiple steps and significant expertise. By turning to robotic AM as an alternative, it is possible to eliminate the need for molds altogether and dramatically streamline the production process.

In the end, Ferretti Group was able to reduce production lead times by 50%, minimize material waste by 60%, and reduce part weight by 15%—ultimately resulting in gains in terms of efficiency, sustainability and performance. You can read more about Caracol’s activities in the yachting vertical here.