World’s First 3D Printed Marine Gangway Complies with Industry Standards

Namthaja, a Saudi Arabian 3D printing service provider, has unveiled the world’s first 3D printed marine gangway. The project represents an important milestone in the application of additive manufacturing (AM) to marine engineering by demonstrating the potential for 3D printing to produce large, functional components that meet stringent industry standards.

Saudi marine services company Jana Marine faced challenges with traditional metallic gangways, which were heavy, required frequent maintenance, and were difficult to handle. To address these issues, Namthaja developed a 3D printed gangway using ASA Glass Fiber, offering a lightweight, corrosion-resistant solution.

The 3D printed gangway, measuring three meters in length and 0.60 meters in width, has been designed and tested to comply with ISO 7061:2015 standards. These standards specify the allowable deflection under a given load, and the Namthaja gangway performs well within these limits, exhibiting a deflection of less than 20 mm under a 750 kg load—surpassing the required maximum deflection of 40 mm under a 720 kg load. This performance has been validated by the American Bureau of Shipping (ABS), ensuring its suitability for use in demanding marine environments.

To produce the element, Namthaja utilized a Fused Granulate Fabrication (FGF) robotic arm from Caracol. The gangway is constructed from ASA-GF, which, according to the company, offers excellent UV and weather resistance, making it particularly suitable for outdoor marine applications. The material’s low density contributes to the gangway being 30% lighter than traditional metal alternatives, facilitating easier handling and installation. Additionally, the inclusion of glass fiber reinforcement enhances the strength and dimensional accuracy of the structure. By 3D printing the part, lead times were cut by 85%, while costs were reduced by 50%.

Bottom view of the 3D printed gangway.

It’s worth providing some background on Jana Marine, a subsidiary of Rashed Al Rashed & Sons Group (RAR Group). Listed as number 20 in Forbes’s “Top 100 Arab Family Businesses 2024,” the RAR Group employs over 13,000 people at 25 companies across seven sectors: building materials, cement and bulk materials, finishing materials, contracting, industrial products, automotive, and food products. It also has real estate investments. As of August 2022, the group holds significant stakes in several financial institutions, including 9.8% of Banque Saudi Fransi, 9.97% of Arab National Bank, and 9.6% of Al Yamamah Steel Industries.

In other words, Jana Marine has plenty of heft behind it to invest in 3D printing and it would be wise to do so. While the navies of the world, particularly the U.S. and Australian Navies, have been rapidly deploying 3D printing, the maritime sector is only now starting to catch up in terms of AM adoption. Nevertheless, it still lags significantly behind other sectors. This makes sense given the stringent standards for the industry as well as the sheer size of 3D printable components. In fact, it may be in part because large format AM (LFAM) is maturing to the extent necessary for marine elements.

The Middle East will play an increasingly important role in AM for the maritime sector, given its relationship both to security in the region and the energy sector. Al Seer in the United Arab Emirates has leveraged the largest of LFAM machines to 3D print boat hulls. 3D printed drone boats have been advertised for use in ferrying tourists through Dubai, but it’s likely that they’ll serve a dual use in patrolling the Red Sea.

Namthaja is poised to take advantage of this area, having already established a number of other maritime and energy use cases. This includes metal 3D printed valves, piping, and pump impellers, among other items. With competition from Al Seer and the like in Dubai, there’s no doubt that there will be more, large-scale 3D printing applications coming from the Saudi firm.

All images courtesy of Namthaja.