Hybrid ship propeller revealed

TIN news:  The Port of Rotterdam’s Additive Manufacturing Fieldlab (RAMLAB) and Autodesk have created a ship propeller made using a hybrid manufacturing process, combining wire and arc additive manufacturing, using industrial robotic arms and subtractive machining and grinding techniques.

As Autodesk explains, if a vessel comes into port needing a replacement part, for example a propeller, it can take weeks or months to order and deliver, costing companies millions of dollars while they wait.

To tackle this challenge, the team at RAMLAB works with a dedicated network of hardware and software partners, academic and certification institutions and key end users to help the Port stay on course to become the smartest port in the world. RAMLAB’s hybrid manufacturing approach, entails combining additive and subtractive manufacturing, with faster fabrication options, provided by Autodesk: 3D printing large ship components in metal and then finishing the pieces using traditional CNC milling and grinding methods within a matter of days, saving time and money without sacrificing performance.