Hanse 3D prints yacht hull
German yachting giant ushers in new era of boat building with 3D printing technologyFollowing the introduction of revolutionary 3D printing in the automotive and architecture industries, German yacht-maker Hanse says it is now primed to start the "test phase" of its first 3D hull printer.
Hanse Yachts says it has worked for months with the VBS-print company to reach this pivotal moment when it finally 3D prints a 10m hull.
After the construction of a 20m long printer, the yacht maker says it's now started printing off the first prototype boat, a Hanse 3D15.
The chief engineer of the Department for Future Development at Hanse, Karl Dehler, is apparently looking forward to the next days.
"The three-year planning and development phase is now completed. Today, on the 1st of April, the printer will start to construct our first masterpiece," Dehler says.
The printing process will use wood-filament, which is composed of 60 per cent recycled wood and a polymeric binder. The new Hanse 3D15 will thus be a wooden yacht, enthuses the yacht maker.
With the new hull print production, Hanse wants to manufacture not only more powerful hulls but also to reduce the production times significantly in order to satisfy the high demand.
As a result of the 3D print, the Hanse individualisation concept can be implemented in every possible way. We take this to mean that customisations are really very easy to achieve.
Dr. Jens Gerhardt, CEO of HanseYachts AG is proud of his colleagues: "We see here the beginning of a new era in yacht manufacturing! 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.
"Already in that time Dehler has experimented with modern materials and against all expectations quickly established itself as the first German large-scale manufacturer of fiberglass yachts.
"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."
While this is an April 1 announcement, it's not like a large German company to prank at this level. Local Hanse importers and agents Windcraft concur. More at
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