3D printing a whole boat

[socaldmax]

If I'm going to print something with multi layers, I'd love to print my own solar cells.

[zboss]

Originally Posted by socaldmax

If I'm going to print something with multi layers, I'd love to print my own solar cells.

The Sky’s the Limit for the 3D Printing of Solar Panels at Australia’s VICOSC - 3DPrint.com

In regards to the molds... I don't disagree. Here are some examples of 3d printing for molds...

http://www.voxeljet.de/en/case-studies/case-studies/

[Cheechako]

Originally Posted by zboss

Always a firestarter! Go back to using a quill and parchment! Just kidding

Anyhow - who said anything about disposable? You can print metal now. Most advanced 3d printers can print multiple materials in one printing, just like you can print multiple colors on a piece of paper.

I think if 3d printing is going to take off the materials science still needs a lot of work, but like everything these days, its faster than you can read about it in the news.

I tend to be optimistic in areas like this because this is what I am paid to do as an Engineering Architect. I spend a great deal of time going to clients and trying to get them to understand what they do, as most of my clients don't really have a clue about what they do internally. Then think about the objective rather than the process. We then help them develop new processes to support the objective rather than just thinking about the problem in the same old way. My success rate is about 40% but that 40% is extremely successful. So, I give this concept about a 40% chance of success.

The 3D thing is changing fast for sure... and it's pretty cool. I'm not sure it will ever be too good for a final product... but that depends on the materials science side of it I suppose. I remember seeing it over 20 years ago at a machine tools show.
If a wire feed welder is controlled by a computer and lays up a boat shape out of all molten weld wire.. isn't that really kind of like 3D printing? But would you want a boat made out of all "weld"?
The "never thought of before" materials would be the thing I suppose...

[s/v Beth]

Interesting technology. Probably just make my model out of wood (for now). Thanks for the update guys.

[SunDevil]

Originally Posted by HopCar

I bet we'll see shops like "Kinko's 3D" in our neighborhoods. You need a part for something, the manufactures just sends you the data, you send it to the Kinko's 3D down the block, you pick up your part tomorrow.

Damn it. Now I'll have to lose weight and exercise so I'll live long enough to see it.

Proto BuildBar

We have a 3D printing bar here. They might not be able to print a boat yet, but you can drink while you wait for your part to print out.

I wouldn't bet against technology though.

CNC machines have been around and when used in combination with alternative materials for 3D printers, I could see someone building a hull the normal way, but 3D printing all of the interior structures.

3D Printing: Will You Build Your Next Boat?

[CaptTom]

Originally Posted by s/v Beth

forgive me for both resurrecting an old thread and asking it to go some place new but:
If I am going to design my own tri, I think I would like to make a model of it first..

I did a quick Google search and found a bunch of companies that will do your 3-D printing for you. You need the design software. Do your design and ship them a file, and they'll send you the finished product. All kinds of different materials and sizes are available.

It all seemed pretty straightforward, although I haven't found a project yet that justifies the effort of learning to be proficient in the software and familiar with the process and materials.

[zboss]

Originally Posted by SunDevil

Proto BuildBar

We have a 3D printing bar here. They might not be able to print a boat yet, but you can drink while you wait for your part to print out.

I wouldn't bet against technology though.

CNC machines have been around and when used in combination with alternative materials for 3D printers, I could see someone building a hull the normal way, but 3D printing all of the interior structures.

3D Printing: Will You Build Your Next Boat?

Exactly. My point has been that the almost all manufacturing has changed but boat building seems stuck in low gear. Sure there is vacuum bagging/forming but thats been around for decades. Robots don't seem like a good solution because the volume of production doesn't justify the outlay. Human capital is very expensive, so there has to be a way to build a better boat with better tolerances and do it much faster (like 3 times faster) and much less expensive.

Look at home builders. They regularly achieve 200% gross profit (or much more) on every home they build, and where it once took over a year to build a 1500 square foot home, they can build a 5000 square foot home in 3 months. Back in the 70's if you were living in a 5000 square foot home, you were in a mansion... now, they make up 1/3 of almost every development.

[socaldmax]

I could easily imagine a robotic system doing the bagging or spraying epoxy or laying strands of kevlar or CF the full length of the hull, things that would be very difficult for a human to do.

I'm all for changes in process for the sake of increased strength, weight savings or both, but I'm less enthused about the prospect of the use of a new technique strictly for the sake of cost savings and potentially decreasing strength or quality.

[arsenelupiga]

printing is no big deal. material is. And price of material can get to anything.

However, printing boat models in aquarium is good enough.

lots of talk little useful results.

funny how people's fantasy goes funny when media start pumping any sort of crap.

[zboss]

Originally Posted by socaldmax

I could easily imagine a robotic system doing the bagging or spraying epoxy or laying strands of kevlar or CF the full length of the hull, things that would be very difficult for a human to do.

I'm all for changes in process for the sake of increased strength, weight savings or both, but I'm less enthused about the prospect of the use of a new technique strictly for the sake of cost savings and potentially decreasing strength or quality.

Its my experience that savings costs does not always have to equal reduced quality. In fact, if change is done right, quality goes up. Why would you do it any other way?

Materials are an issue, we recognized this is the thread earlier. Issue identified. Old topic. Let's change the assumptions and assume that a new material called Fabuglass has been invented that can be 3d printed and has all the capabilities you associate with fiberglass but its 4 times as strong because its not fiberglass. The material is so clean the process produces no by products such as trash. Parts snap together forming a perfectly water-tight and nearly unbreakable bond, due to the engineering of the snap. No need (or very minimal need) for glues, epoxies, screws, or bolts. The parts fit together so well, you actually need to build in some give so the boat can flex a little. Material can come in any color, or mix of colors, so it can look like metal or wood and have any texture printed upon it.

What would you change about how you make a boat? Would you still produce your entire boat near the waterfront? Why would you need to? Is there any need for shipwright skills anymore? Why not just do final assembly near the water and build the boat elsewhere, say in Kansas, using the same skills that are needed for assembling a vacuum? How many people would you need to build a boat? Maybe one designer, one engineer and that's about it I bet.

[socaldmax]

Originally Posted by zboss

Its my experience that savings costs does not always have to equal reduced quality. In fact, if change is done right, quality goes up. Why would you do it any other way?

Materials are an issue, we recognized this is the thread earlier. Issue identified. Old topic. Let's change the assumptions and assume that a new material called Fabuglass has been invented that can be 3d printed and has all the capabilities you associate with fiberglass but its 4 times as strong because its not fiberglass. The material is so clean the process produces no by products such as trash. Parts snap together forming a perfectly water-tight and nearly unbreakable bond, due to the engineering of the snap. No need (or very minimal need) for glues, epoxies, screws, or bolts. The parts fit together so well, you actually need to build in some give so the boat can flex a little. Material can come in any color, or mix of colors, so it can look like metal or wood and have any texture printed upon it.

What would you change about how you make a boat? Would you still produce your entire boat near the waterfront? Why would you need to? Is there any need for shipwright skills anymore? Why not just do final assembly near the water and build the boat elsewhere, say in Kansas, using the same skills that are needed for assembling a vacuum? How many people would you need to build a boat? Maybe one designer, one engineer and that's about it I bet.

I like the way you think, and I'd love to see it happen. Yes new processes and cost reduction doesn't necessarily mean reduced quality, but with any profit driven business, things are built to a price point and some corner has to get cut. There are plenty of examples already in the boating world, where people with knowledge of the history of a brand will caution someone that the units produced in the 1980s and 1990s are much more durable than any units built since 2000, due to thinner layers and a change in process, I just hope it doesn't happen.

[CaptTom]

Originally Posted by zboss

Let's change the assumptions and assume that a new material called Fabuglass has been invented that can be 3d printed and has all the capabilities you associate with fiberglass but its 4 times as strong because its not fiberglass. The material is so clean the process produces no by products such as trash. Parts snap together forming a perfectly water-tight and nearly unbreakable bond, due to the engineering of the snap. No need (or very minimal need) for glues, epoxies, screws, or bolts. The parts fit together so well, you actually need to build in some give so the boat can flex a little. Material can come in any color, or mix of colors, so it can look like metal or wood and have any texture printed upon it.

Fair enough. We don't know what will be available in the future.

But that whole snap-together thing bothers me. You acknowledge that boats need to take a lot of torsional stresses in normal use. Let's assume you can build in the needed flexibility, without opening up a seam.

I'm still not sure what would happen if you hit a log or something. Like the Titanic, the plates will flex but the seams will separate.

It seems to me the true benefit of 3D printing a boat would be the ability to make the whole thing; hull, deck, bulkheads and everything, all one piece. No seams to worry about.

While we're making assumptions about the future, I envision 3D printers getting larger. I've seen video of a demo using this type of technology to build a house. Surely a boat would be easy. Someday.

Good discussion!

[zboss]

Singapore students 'print' solar-powered city car

[leftbrainstuff]

3D printing has been around since the 1980s. I remember building plastic prototypes of complicated motorsport parts for fitup. The limitations have mostly been around suitable materials. I expect to see commercially available metal matrix composites and non metal composites available in about 5 years.

Size of machine has never been a technical issue. Getting a smooth finish in a reasonable time is still a challenge. The first boat builder to adopt this technology will force all others to follow.

The real productivity benefit is being able to get a good finish on all surfaces. No more plugs or molds.

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[zboss]

Now there are companies that can 3d print large mechanically sturdy items using materials we can actually use, like carbon fiber, fiberglass, and kevlar.

https://markforged.com/