Startup company Voltage Vessels is advancing development of large-format 3D-printed marine structures using its proprietary Eclipse X9 composite material.
A 6-metre rigid hull inflatable boat (RHIB) has been printed using a CEAD large-format additive manufacturing system in HDPro mode. Eclipse X9 is a composite material combining recycled PETG with chopped basalt fibre.
The material achieves 108 MPa tensile strength and retains greater than 90% of this performance after more than 24 months of saltwater immersion, with less than 0.4% water absorption.
Material validation has been conducted in partnership with the University of Maine. Voltage Vessels has outlined plans to scale production capacity to 15,000 metric tonnes per year.
Source: Voltage Vessels / Voxelmatters
