Saudi Arabian 3D printing service Namthaja recently revealed details about a world-first project it has been working on. The company, leveraging Caracol’s large-scale 3D printing technology, has manufactured the first 3D printed gangway for the marine segment. The gangway is designed to facilitate the embarkment and debarcation of passengers from boats or ships.

The 3D printed passageway, which measures three meters in length and just over half a meter in width, can reportedly withstand loads of up to 750 kg (with a deflection below 20 mm), complying with industry standards. Namthaja 3D printed the gangway in a single piece using a durable and corrosion-resistant composite material—an essential property for any marine or maritime applications where sea water is involved—and was able to reduce the structure’s weight by 30% compared to metal gangways, which will make it easier to transport and install.

The 3D printed gangway, which demonstrates yet another application for additive manufacturing in the maritime sphere, was reportedly tested and approved by the American Bureau Shipping (ABS), one of the world’s leading ship classification organizations. In a Linkedin post, Namthaja expressed excitement at the milestone, saying: “We’re proud to share with you the world’s first certified 3D printed gangway, tested by ABS and ISO certified. This milestone reflects our commitment to innovative 3D printing solutions. ISO certification and ABS testing confirm the gangway’s strength and reliability. The standard required the gangway to bear 720 kg with a deflection of 40 mm. We surpassed this by bearing 750 kg with less than 20 mm deflection, showcasing the superior performance and durability of our 3D printed solution.”

As mentioned, Namthaja opted to use Caracol’s Heron AM system, an integrated robotic AM solution for producing large-scale composite parts. Notably, the Saudi Arabian AM service installed three Caracol systems late last year, adding to its portfolio of more than 60 3D printers. The company, whose AM services also include FDM, SLA, SLS, SLM and WAAM/DED processes, has 3D printed over 150,000 parts for customers in industries like maritime, industrial machinery, design, architecture, construction and more.

“We are extremely proud to be partnering with Namthaja in Saudi Arabia and Bahrain, as they’ve demonstrated exceptional know-how and ability to use additive manufacturing technologies to deliver innovation in the region,” commented Caracol Co-Founder and CEO Francesco De Stefano at the time of the system acquisition. “In response to the highly demanding projects they had, the company has already acquired and installed our Heron AM machines—creating one of the largest large-format additive manufacturing production centers in the region. Working with such exceptional partners around the world is what we believe will lead to delivering radical innovation to processes and manufacturing approaches to companies on a global scale.”