Create It Real, a Danish 3D printing company, has established a pilot project with the Green Ship of the Future consortium to explore printing on board ships and address Intellectual Property (IP) rights.
The project is part of the Green Ship of the Future’s ‘The maritime opportunity space of 3D print’ portfolio, and will specifically look into the streamlining of its supply chain by printing spare parts as and when necessary. It is being financed by the Danish Maritime Fund.
Currently, spare parts are often manufactured beforehand, without knowing whether they will actually be required, or delivered by launch boats or helicopters. It has led to concerns regarding costs and the impact on the environment.
“3D printing technology is developing rapidly and we believe it is ready for utilisation in the maritime industry,” said Sverre Patursson Vange, from J. Lauritzen, a Danish shipping company. “However, the harsh environment and the top priority to safety calls for precautions is why we are very pleased to have DNV GL, MAN Diesel & Turbo and Create It Real participating in the project to address these issues.”
Create It Real
Create It Real Platform
The Create It Real Platform, based on its processor dedicated to 3D printing, can be integrated with any extrusion based 3D printer.
In addition to the cost, lead time, and CO2 issues the project is seeking to address, IP and the safe transmission of files are also on the agenda. Placing several 3D printers on board several ships, the project will aim to solve the IP issue as they present themselves. Create It Real Platform, based on its real-time processor dedicated to 3D printing, can be integrated into any extrusion based printer. According to the company, it helps achieve a print speed of up to five times faster than current standard and secures file decryption directly on the machine. Nobody will be able to access the original files, but the on-board crew will still be able to print the part they need.
“We believe many companies are facing the same problem: how to share files with partners or customers while being sure to keep Intellectual Property safe,” Jeremie Pierre Gay, Create It Real CEO, explained. “The business model we are creating thanks to our technology is a bit like listening to music on online platforms. You do not access mp3s but you can still listen to the music depending on your subscription. We aim to create the same positive environment where end-users will have access to high quality branded content and IP owners keep what they worked for.”
