Haddy, a U.S.-based advanced manufacturing company, is developing large-format additive manufacturing solutions for the production of large-scale structures across maritime and defense applications. Its technology combines robotic 3D printing with digital design and manufacturing processes to reduce production time, tooling requirements, and manufacturing costs.
A recent project with HavocAI has demonstrated the potential of this approach for unmanned surface vessels (USVs), with a low-profile USV progressing from digital design to a sea-trial-ready vessel in approximately nine days.
The boat was manufactured using Haddy's large-format 3D-printing process, which enables the production of large maritime structures directly from digital designs. The approach reduces dependence on conventional molds and tooling, allowing vessel designs to be produced and modified more rapidly than through traditional boatbuilding methods.
The rapid production cycle is particularly relevant to unmanned maritime systems, where manufacturers need to test new hull configurations, integrate different payloads, and adapt vessels to evolving mission requirements. Instead of committing significant time and cost to conventional tooling before producing a prototype, additive manufacturing allows the digital design to be modified and another structure to be produced with considerably less tooling overhead.
Haddy's defense manufacturing platform also highlights the production of a 12-meter USV hull in 10 days, from design through shipment. The company claims its manufacturing approach can deliver production speeds of up to 9 times faster than conventional hull-building methods while reducing costs by approximately 50% to 65%.
The technology can also incorporate advanced materials and automated machining, enabling printed structures to undergo additional processing and achieve the dimensional accuracy required for functional marine applications. This combination of additive manufacturing and composite-oriented production methods allows large components to be fabricated while retaining flexibility in design and production.
The development highlights the growing application of large-format 3D printing in marine composites, particularly for USVs and other platforms that require lightweight structures, rapid prototyping, and scalable production. By shortening the time between digital design and physical testing, the technology could help defense and maritime manufacturers accelerate development cycles and respond more quickly to changing operational requirements.
Source: Haddy | News
