Manufacturing Unwrapped: 3D Printing in the Maritime Sector
Additive manufacturing is a fascinating area of manufacturing.
Over the course of this year, we've explored its use by a diversity of manufacturers- from Nikon to Nike.
With applications across aerospace, food & drink, cosmetics, fashion, automotive and more, its an area of innovation that keeps on growing.
Earlier in the year we explored its extraordinary applications in the global maritime sector and three nations that were accelerating their adoption of it.
This piece revealed fascinating insights about not only the future of manufacturing digitalisation, but also about how global maritime supply chains are growing and evolving.
Why set sail with additive manufacturing?
The article began by highlighting the unique manufacturing challenges the maritime sector faces.
It needs durable equipment capable of withstanding corrosive environments and meeting stringent safety standards.
Additionally, the logistical challenges of maintaining operations at sea—such as transporting spare parts across ever-changing asset locations—make downtime costly and problematic.
We explained that additive manufacturing is a solution to all these challenges by enabling distributed, on-demand production which optimises inventory management and enhances sustainability.
You'd assume based off this additive manufacturing adoption in maritime is high, but it isn't.
We highlighted that it stems from three key hurdles:
- Lack of reliable testing opportunities for additive machines in marine environments.
- Insufficient certification and classification systems for machines and parts, hindering reproducibility and wide-scale use.
- Limited education in additive strategies within the sector.
To highlight the value many maritime manufacturers are losing out on by not adopting 3D printing, we looked to three key nations that have embraced the technology.
Nations riding the 3D printing wave
The three nations that have fully embraced additive manufacturing are Singapore, the UAE and the Netherlands.
Singapore
In Singapore the country’s International Maritime Centre (IMC) and Hub Port are pivotal to its dominance as the world’s largest container shipment hub and leading bunkering port.
We highlighted key manufacturing partnerships, like those between ABS and Mencast Marine to develop additive manufacturing applications for critical vessel components.
Through the use of AI and data analytics, the collaboration focuses on designing, testing, and qualifying maritime components to advance decarbonisation and sustainability.
United Arab Emirates
Dubai is another nation that has embraced additive manufacturing's potential for maritime manufacturing.
The nation's Maritime City has increased its transport and passenger numbers immensely, to match government plans for increased maritime activity.
This aligns with initiatives like Dubai Reefs, a sustainable floating city that utilises additive manufacturing to create new job opportunities whilst safeguarding marine life.
There is also Immensa, a Dubai-founded company and the MENA region's largest digital manufacturer. A strong proponent of additive manufacturing, Immensa partnered with Singapore's Pelagus 3D to transform inventory management in the maritime sector.
The Netherlands
The Netherlands is the home of Europe's largest port, located in Rotterdam.
The country was an early adopter of additive manufacturing in the maritime sector with Rotterdam's Additive Manufacturing Fieldlab (RAMLAB) partnered with Autodesk to pioneer AM in the maritime sector.
Their first pilot project—a 3D-printed ship propeller—used hybrid manufacturing techniques like arc additive manufacturing to innovate maritime component production.
Following this, the Holland Shipyards Group is using additive manufacturing to create the worlds largest autonomous 3D-printed ferry, featuring a fully recycled hull, electric propulsion, and automatic mooring.
Why is this article a favourite?
This article is a favourite because of how it highlights the value of additive manufacturing within challenging environmental conditions and global supply chains.
Researching which nations had seen the greatest adoption of additive manufacturing was interesting and eye-opening, with adoption deeply correlated with the regional importance of maritime affairs.
Learning about how the companies above are streamlining inventory management and tackling sustainability through additive manufacturing was fascinating, highlighting once again the sheer potential of this technology.
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