'Born from basalt' — How a tiny Hawaii startup is rewriting the rules of naval shipbuilding with 3D…
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A small Hawaii company is attempting to alter naval manufacturing by replacing traditional shipyard construction with large industrial printers and basalt-reinforced thermoplastics.
Voltage Vessels, founded by Sam Young, recently submitted a 6-meter Rigid Hull Inflatable Boat (RHIB) for the United States maritime defense evaluation programs.
The vessel is produced using a Dutch CEAD additive manufacturing system capable of fabricating full-scale composite marine structures.
3D printing eliminates the old shipyard
Military RHIB platforms traditionally require fixed production facilities, extensive fiberglass work, specialized molds, and highly trained labour operating through lengthy manufacturing schedules.
Voltage Vessels argues that those systems create dangerous vulnerabilities during conflicts where damaged vessels require immediate replacement far from continental shipyards.
The company instead proposes distributed production...
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