Caracol, NextChem debut one-piece, 3D-printed composite sailboat

On Sept. 4 as part of Milan Design Week, large-scale additive manufacturing (AM) specialist Caracol (Lomazzo, Italy) is debuting Beluga, a 3D-printed sailing boat prototype manufactured in a single piece using recycled polypropylene (PP) and 30% short glass fiber.

Beluga is the product of a joint research project between Caracol and NextChem (Rome, Italy), a green energy company that produces MyReplast recycled plastic materials. 

The goal of the project was to manufacture what the partners say is the world’s first 3D-printed, one-piece sailboat. According to Caracol, fiberglass and other traditional materials used to build sailboats can be difficult to recycle, and require the production of molds for infusion. For Beluga, Caracol employed its proprietary, robotic additive manufacturing system to produce the boat’s hull in a single piece, no mold required, using recycled MyReplast PP reinforced with glass fiber for stabilization during printing and increased part rigidity and performance. 

Caracol’s AM system employs a patented extruder and a six-axis robotic arm, and is said to generate advantages over other manufacturing methods such as reduced costs, higher sustainability, improved production lead times and higher part performance. Read more about Caracol in “Large-scale, robotic-mounted 3D printer aims to expand AM size limits.”

Project partners included Beyond MyReplast, which is NextChem’s trademark for its upcycling technology and upcycled polymers; Euroscatola, which produces packaging with recycled materials; Yacht Club Santo Stefano, which provided its team of athletes, locations and expertise to test and validate the boat; Elli furniture design company; and Bombeer food and beverage partner for the event.

After its debut event on Sept. 4, Beluga is being presented at a series of events throughout the week:

• Monday, Sept. 6: Presentation on the circular economy from Vincenzo Accurso, COO of NextChem.
• Tuesday, Sept. 7: Presentation on design and art with Ugo Nespolo, DesignWanted and Alessio Elli.
• Wednesday, Sept. 8: Roundtable discussion on open innovation and additive manufacturing moderated by Caracol CEO Francesco De Stefano, with participation of Salvatore Majorana, director of Kilometro Rosso; Marco Grassi, open innovation director for Maire Tecnimont; and Alberto Pellero, director for strategy and marketing at Kuka Roboter Italia SpA.