Tech start-up Moi Composite has unveiled MAMBO, the world’s first 3D printed boat ....
Created using the companies tech know-how, MAMBO (Motor Additive Manufacturing BOat) demonstrates a new, unique shaped boat that cannot be achieved with traditional manufacturing. It was digitally crafted in patented 3D printing technology, Continuous Fiber Manufacturing (CFM), a truly innovative system, which, thanks to the use of robots expertly guided by generative algorithms, allows for 3D printing continuous fiber composite materials, opening up the world of freedom for customization and high, mechanical performance which were unthinkable until now for 3D printers. A rare 3D printing capability: continuous fiberglass thermoset material makes products strong, ultra-durable, and lightweight and Moi’s robotic system allows for scalability in print size.
CFM technology involves the use of robotic machines, capable of depositing continuous fibers impregnated with thermosetting resin in order to create products with optimized performance, starting from a three-dimensional model of the object. This allows the creation of fiber-reinforced products with mechanical characteristics comparable to those of unidirectional fiberglass, without the aid of models, molds and other tooling equipment. In this way it is possible to obtain not only prototypes, but real products in small lots or unique pieces, efficiently and cost-effectively.
MAMBO spans 6.5 meters long by 2.5 meters wide, has a dry weight of approximately 800 kg, and is equipped with a real navigation system, cork flooring, white leather seats, and 115 cv engine. MAMBO signifies the latest in design and production innovation, efficiency, and personalization. The hull is an inverted tricycle inspired by the famous Arcidiavolo by Sonny Levi, on which organic forms chase each other and are transformed into structural and functional elements. The various sections were printed using two KUKA Quantec High Accuracy robots in Milan, at Moi Composites’ headquarters and in Autodesk's AMF (Advanced Manufacturing Facility) in Birmingham, United Kingdom, to exemplify on-site manufacturing, considered one of the most important strengths of 3D printing. The printed pieces were joined and laminated at Catmarine shipyard, creating a one-piece sandwich structure, without hull-deck division.
The tireless and uninterrupted work of the robots combined with the wise and passionate skill of the craftsmen of the yard have given life to a hybrid and new industrial system, as technological and digital as analog and tailored, which today enables the impossible to become possible. Moi’s partners in the MAMBO project include a team of global experts in automation, composite materials, and the nautical industry: Autodesk, Catmarine, Confindustria Nautica, Mercury Marine, MICAD, Osculati, and Owens Corning.
To date, MAMBO represents not only the first boat made with innovative three-dimensional production techniques to be used in real navigation, but also a window to a new sea of possibilities and an invitation to reflect on the way in which we judge the realization of possible or impossible ideas.
For more information visit: www.moi.am.
