A German luxury yacht manufacturer has announced that they are using 3D printing to create a 10-meter long hull with a 20-meter long hull 3D printer.
HanseYachts AG, founded in 1990, are one of the largest manufacturers of sail yachts in the world who use innovative construction methods for their yachts.
To create their newest yacht, the Hanse 3D15, with a 3D printed 10-meter hull the German company has been working with VBS-print.
This idea has taken months of both planning and development and now, after the construction of a 20-meter long printer they can begin printing their first prototype.
The chief engineer of the department for future development, Karl Dehler, said in a press release:
“The new Hanse 3D15 will thus be a wooden yacht. With the new hull print production we want to manufacture not only more powerful hulls but also reduce the production times significantly in order to satisfy the high demand of our customers. As a result of the 3D print, the Hanse individualization concept can be implemented in every possible way.”
How Will the 3D Printed Yacht Hull be Made?
In order to print the hull, the company will be using a wood filament, which is made up of 60% recycled wood and a polymeric binder.
Dr. Jens Gerhardt, CEO of Hanse Yachts AG seems to believe in the power that 3D printing has and its ability to bring in a new era of yacht manufacturing.
He explained: “When partners within our industry tell me that 3D printing will never be successful, I often like to remind them of the introduction of GRP in the 60s, which was highly controversial at the time as a building material for boats.”
He is very quick to point out that: “Already in that time Dehler had experimented with modern materials and against all expectations quickly established itself as the first German large-scale manufacturer of fiberglass yachts. Still today we see the power of innovation as a core competitive advantage of our yard, and we are proud to set a new milestone in the international boat industry.”
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