3D-printed ship propeller could help 'radically transform' maritime industry

The process behind a new 3D-printed ship propeller could “radically transform” the maritime industry, its creators have claimed.

A consortium based at the Port of Rotterdam in the Netherlands unveiled the propeller today after months of development and testing. The part, made by the Ramlab group with a combination of additive manufacturing and traditional machining, was officially approved for use by Bureau Veritas.

Replacing or repairing key parts on ships can take weeks or months as crews wait for deliveries from warehouses on the other side of the world. Operators lose millions of pounds from the resulting downtime as ships sit idle in ports.

Ramlab claimed its hybrid manufacturing process “shows another way” for the industry, potentially providing replacement parts in a matter of days and saving significant amounts of money.

The group, including Damen Shipyards, propeller experts Promarin and software experts Autodesk, tested the printed propeller in a series of “gruelling” tests on a tugboat. These included speed trials and crash stop testing, which involved going from full throttle ahead to full throttle reverse, the heaviest loading a propeller can experience during normal operation.

“One of the most exciting things about this project is that we have not just produced a one-off demonstrator. It’s relatively easy to do something once, but to produce a certified part and establish a process takes more time and consideration,” said consultant Kelvin Hamilton from Autodesk.

“Working with a great team of partners we’ve harnessed the best of additive and subtractive manufacturing to create a process that is repeatable,” he added. “This repeatability provides the potential to radically transform the whole industry.”