Final as-built propeller.
The Port of Rotterdam’s Additive Manufacturing Fieldlab (RAMLAB) and Autodesk have revealed the first pilot component pioneering the use of additive manufacturing in the maritime industry.
The first component is a ship’s propeller made using a hybrid manufacturing process combining wire and arc additive manufacturing using industrial robotic arms and subtractive machining and grinding techniques.
As the largest port in Europe, the Netherlands’ Port of Rotterdam is one of the most important intersections for the flow of cargo in the world and handles over 460 million tons of cargo a year.
On a mission to become the smartest port in the world, the Port opened RAMLAB, an onsite facility designed to tackle the lengthy and costly process of manufacturing replacement parts for incoming vessels. The facility includes a pair of 6-axis robotic arms capable of additively manufacturing large metal industrial parts and works with a network of partners and end users to manufacture metal parts on demand.
One of those partners is Autodesk and the software giant has played a key role in developing RAMLAB’s innovative hybrid manufacturing approach. This includes 3D printing large ship components in metal and then finishing the pieces using traditional CNC milling and grinding methods.
Freek van Arkel
Port of Rotterdam
“The Port of Rotterdam’s RAMLAB initiative is a great example of how whole industries are being disrupted by industrial additive manufacturing,” explains Steve Hobbs, VP of CAM and Hybrid Manufacturing at Autodesk. “Creating an ‘on-demand’ hybrid manufacturing capability for replacement parts will have a major impact on reducing wasted time and cost currently incurred across the maritime industry when ship parts are damaged. We’re excited to be working alongside some of the key players in the marine industry to bring to reality this very tangible example of the future of making things.”
“With the work being done at RAMLAB, the group hopes to accelerate the cross-industry adoption of hybrid manufacturing for making large-scale parts on-demand,” Vincent Wegener, Managing Director of the RAMLAB, commented. “Our aim is to make the Port of Rotterdam not just an important gateway for Europe, but also a leader in the development of new manufacturing methods. Autodesk is a key partner for us due to its expertise in how to design and manufacture using both the latest additive manufacturing techniques and more traditional CNC and machining methods.”
The progress has been announced this week at Hannover Messe 2017. The next step is to manufacture and fit a final, to scale, version to one of the partner’s ships this summer.
