Caracol, an industrial 3D printer manufacturer, along with the V2
Caracol, an industrial 3D printer manufacturer, along with the V2 Group, a large-format additive manufacturing provider, have developed the world’s first 3D-printed monolithic catamaran, which can sail in open waters.
The 6 m-long catamaran was generated in a single print using the Heron AM robot platform.
It took almost 160 hours to print the entire design, weighing 1200 kilograms and measuring 5000 x 2300 x 1500 mm.
In the production process, researchers recorded a 30% reduction in waste production and a 20% lead time reduction.
The 3D Printing System
The printing system, called the Heron 400, used a High Flow Extruder with a nozzle size of 8 mm.
The material used was rPP + 30% GF, a composite material designed to balance structural performance with environmental sustainability.
rPP (Recycled Polypropylene) is a thermoplastic polymer sourced from post-industrial or post-consumer waste. Inorganic glass fibres are added as a reinforcement agent. At a 30% concentration, these fibres transform the flexible plastic into a high-strength engineering material.
The company plans to scale and industrialise
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