The Port of Rotterdam was once the world’s busiest port before it was recently overtaken by Singapore, and then Shanghai, and it now covers some 41 square miles and stretches across 25 miles.
The port has a long history which reaches back into the 14th century, and as the city of Rotterdam has developed into a major harbor city, the port expanded from a series of docks along the banks of the Nieuwe Maas river. In the 19th century, the port expanded in response to the fact that connections between Rotterdam and the North Sea were lacking, a situation which meant ships were forced to sail around the island of Voorne-Putten to reach the sea.
Now a project called 3D Printing of Maritime Spare Parts by a consortium of 27 marine-related companies has been formed by InnovationQuarters, Havenbedrijf Rotterdam, RDM Makerspace and AEGIR-Marine to share their expertise.
The pilot program will examine some 30 selected spare parts, four of which were chosen for 3D print production. The consortium says the printing will be done during July and August, and a part testing project is slated to begin in September.
“Innovation is one of our priorities, and we were already exploring 3D printing for our business. Joining this consortium was therefore a natural thing to do,” says Robert van Herwaarden, the General Manager of AEGIR-Marine Production. “I found that the selection of the final four products was a learning process by itself. What can be 3D printed? When is it profitable and what are the benefits?”
AEGIR-Marine provides stern seal and propulsion services, and they are an independent builder of services and spares for all major maritime propulsion systems.
Do you know of any other projects meant for maritime applications which use 3D printing? Let us know in the Maritime 3D Printing forum thread on 3DPB.com.