3D Printing Revolutionizes Yacht Building at HanseYachts AG

Apirl 11 2016

After the automotive – and architecture industry has discovered the 3D printing, we are now ready to start the test phase for our first 3D hull printer. In cooperation with the VBS-print GmbH engineers of HanseYachts AG have worked for months in order to realise the first 3D print of a 10 meter hull. After the construction of the 20 meter long printer we now start the printing of the first prototype, a Hanse 3D15.

The chief engineer of the department for future development, Karl Dehler, is clearly 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. The particularity of the printing process at HanseYachts is the use of wood-filament, which is composed of 60% recycled wood and a polymeric binder. The new Hanse 3D15 will thus be a wooden yacht! With the new hull print production we want to manufacture not only more powerful hulls but also reduce the production times significantly in order to satisfy the high demand of our customers. As a result of the 3D print, the Hanse individualization concept can be implemented in every possible way.”

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. Still 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.”