3D printing transforms vessel upgrades and repairs

 

The company is based near Marina Kaštela in Croatia. It specialises in all types of construction work on vessels, works to quality standards and is a strong believer in investing in new technologies and training its employees through advanced seminars.

One of the problems Velum Nautica regularly faces is sourcing spare parts for custom vessels, as well as accommodating customers’ wishes for modifications to production boats.

Kate Popovac, co-owner of Velum Nautica explains: “We are manufacturing all types of parts for ships and shipping companies from across Europe and partners of Jeanneau, Hanse and the Croatian Regulation Authorities. We have many large fabrication projects and were looking for a way to speed up the time they take to deliver – that’s why we bought a Massivit 3D printer.

“This solution addresses the main challenges of a marine manufacturer – time, supplies and labour costs. Traditional methods lead to more waste, and we’ve found we can fabricate items using one person rather than the five or even 10 needed for wooden moulds. When the printer is operating, our workers can turn to other projects, which also saves time.”

Peter Ivanovic, Velum Nautica’s head engineer continues: “When I came across the Massivit 3D printer, it shocked me with its simplicity, precision, and the speed that it printed. Until now, marine manufacturers lost a lot of time and money producing moulds and a lot of material was wasted. With traditional methods, we needed around a week and a half to produce moulds for a motor yacht mast. But with the Massivit 3D printer, we need around eight hours to print it.

”In the marine industry, achieving symmetry is difficult and clients usually come with different ideas that are sometimes complicated to produce. With the printer, we can easily achieve complex shapes symmetric and precise models every single time. Marine manufacturers can fear new technologies, but with the newest developments in additive manufacturing, it becomes easy and even necessary to use these methods. There is nothing that comes even close to the size and speed at which our Massivit 3D printer can produce new parts.”

 

Example 1: GRP reinforced 3D printed yacht extension

The extension of this stern platform needed to fit the vessel’s original design.

Using Massivit’s 3D printing technology, Velum Nautica was able to remodel the look of the aft quarters to blend the topsides into an extended bathing platform. Without identical port and starboard side parts, the symmetry of the ship would be lost. Doing this work using traditional methods would take too much time and almost impossible to achieve a completely identical look.

Example 2: 3D-printed custom radar masts

A Velum Nautica customer required a new radar mast that would blend in with the ship’s sleek design. This is almost impossible to achieve with stainless steel.

The custom mast was designed and printed hollow to hide radar and lighting cabling, enabling a sleek design. The customer was extremely happy with the results and the vessel was taken to sea without any issues.

Another Velum Nautica customer needed a radar mast suitable for his vessel in terms of design and functionality.

Velum Nautica 3D printed the mast in a single part in just two hours, consuming around 2kg of material. The part was finished, guides for cables were inserted, and it was then reinforced with fibreglass and filled internally with strengthening foam.

While producing the mast above, a different Velum Nautica client noticed the part and requested the same mast, with a variation incorporating an additional section for a navigation light. This change was implemented on the 3D file within a few minutes and the new mast was then printed within two hours.

Example 3: 3D printed Bowsprit

A Velum Nautica customer required a bowsprit to serve as a step for entering the front of a 30-passenger vessel. It would be a highly visible element, so it needed to be perfectly symmetrical.

With traditional technology and processes, this would have taken two full days utilising two team members full time (14 hours) to create a GRP mould. Velum Nautica was able to 3D print it in just three hours and ensure it could withstand the required load. The Massivit 3D printer replaced two stages – mould production and part production.

Example 4: 3D printed mould for sun protection roof

A Velum Nautica customer wanted a hardtop to cover the cockpit of an 8m motor yacht. A one-piece unit was designed, and then the mould was created using Velum Nautica’s Massivit 3D Printer.

Example 5: time-sensitive creation of 3D printed replacement exhaust cover

An exhaust cover was needed for a Velum Nautica client’s motor yacht as the original exhaust cover had been lost. This job was time-sensitive as the part could only be installed on the vessel out of the water. The entire cover needed to be produced within just four days.

The remaining exhaust cover on the other side was detached from the vessel and 3D scanned to duplicate it. A CAD model was then created from the scan and symmetrically mirrored. The exhaust cover was 3D printed in just over 3.5 hours and required only 4kg of printing material.

Example 6: one-piece 3D printed bathroom mould

The ability to print the entire bathroom in one part prevents water from rising above a given height which could damage the vessel. After Velum Nautica prepared this bathroom mould, it was decided at the last minute to extend the design to create extra space. The additional mould part was designed within one hour, printed and completed on the same day.

 

Example 7: one-piece 3D printed custom ergonomic helm

Velum Nautica designed this dashboard ergonomically and aesthetically, enabling the skipper to see all screens and the view ahead. With traditional production, it would take more than two weeks just to create one mould. The finished part was created directly from the computer using the Massivit 3D printer. Velum Nautica plans to produce many more dashboards due to the production speed of this technique and the ability to provide unlimited designs.

 

Top image: Bowsprit 3D printed by Velum Nautica on a Massivit 3D printer