MAMBO is the first fiberglass boat that can be 3D printed entirely

 

The 2020 Genoa Boat Show, an exhibition of new products in the field of yachts and boats, has opened in Genoa, Italy. One of them is the MAMBO boat, the brainchild of the Milanese company Moi Composites, which is called the world's first fiberglass boat that can be printed on a 3D printer. Clarification - it was not printed entirely in one session, but all structural elements were created in this way.

The MAMBO is another, even larger demonstration of Moi Composites' patented Continuous Fiber Manufacturing technology. A special 3D printer forms a continuous layer of fiberglass and vinyl ester resin, this mixture is automatically hardened by ultraviolet light. The printer head allows fibers to be laid in complex curved shapes to create a product of the desired architecture.

When working on MAMBO, the main load fell on robots of the Kuka Quantec High Accuracy type, one of which is located in Milan, and the other at the British Autodesk plant. They printed the finished sections, which they then put together at the Italian shipyard Catmarine. The boat is 6.5 m long, 2.5 m wide and weighs less than 800 kg. On board is a 115-horsepower engine, a navigation system, plus luxury items - a cork floor and seats with white leather upholstery.

According to representatives of Moi Composites, they have reached the level where they can create not only small, but also large fiberglass products without the use of casting molds and processing tools. This promises tremendous savings in time and labor costs, which will reduce the cost of working with this material. And also to make small-scale production of this promising composite cost-effective.