NDR: 3D-Printed Boat--30', 300 HP

Richard Lathrop said:
Sales pitch. 12 hours to 3d print the boat. It doesn’t say what filament is being used. It also doesn’t mention how long for fitting components to hull.
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Oh yes, that composites lab at UMaine is very much pitching its products. But they do come up with some interesting concepts--a few that are actually practical. This seems to be early stage. From the video that ran on the local news--can't find a link--it looks like the rigging amounts to adding an outboard and steering. Hull looks like the functional equivalent of a similar fiberglass or metal boat. The pitch for 25' version they put out 5+ years ago said it was made of "from PLA derived from corn and nanocellulose derived from wood." (Another UMaine project is developing alternative uses for low grade or waste wood from lumbering operations, since so much less of that is now used for wood pulp for paper.) It sounds to me like this is more about proving that large objects can be 3D printed quickly than about revolutionizing boat manufacturing.
 
Jeff Reardon said:
Oh yes, that composites lab at UMaine is very much pitching its products. But they do come up with some interesting concepts--a few that are actually practical. This seems to be early stage. From the video that ran on the local news--can't find a link--it looks like the rigging amounts to adding an outboard and steering. Hull looks like the functional equivalent of a similar fiberglass or metal boat. The pitch for 25' version they put out 5+ years ago said it was made of "from PLA derived from corn and nanocellulose derived from wood." (Another UMaine project is developing alternative uses for low grade or waste wood from lumbering operations, since so much less of that is now used for wood pulp for paper.) It sounds to me like this is more about proving that large objects can be 3D printed quickly than about revolutionizing boat manufacturing.
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At current speeds I am not sold on large 3d printing compared to traditional construction techniques.
 
Richard Lathrop said:
At current speeds I am not sold on large 3d printing compared to traditional construction techniques.
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I believe I read that the earlier, 25' hull UMaine made a few years ago was printed in about 72 hours. They may have a bigger printer now. I also think one of hype promos I read said they can print objects as large as 100'. I'm not buying one of their hulls until someone I know has run it on the North Atlantic or similar big water for several years, but I'm interested in the concept.
 
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