Who, lying comfortably on the beach and watching the boats on the horizon, has never dreamed of plying the seas aboard in their own luxury yacht? Know that you are not the only one. In fact, the luxury yacht market is constantly growing. In 2023, the luxury yacht market was valued at approximately $10.7B and is only expected to grow in coming years. In addition to production expenses, boats, like all means of transportation, require constant maintenance because they are constantly exposed to the saltiness of the sea, which peels away walls and rusts components. Therefore, maintenance also generates large costs.
So how can the production of such a sought-after vehicle be optimized and make it not only more efficient but also economical? To find a solution to this question, the Ferretti Group, a world leader in the production of luxury motor yachts, turned to Caracol AM to optimize the components of the Pershing GTX116. For this impressive 35-meter vehicle, the two Italian companies designed the optimization of the side air intake grilles and visors using additive manufacturing.
The air grilles created using additive manufacturing for the Pershing GTX116 (photo credits: Caracol)
The Air Grilles of the Pershing GTX116
Luxury yacht air grilles have traditionally been produced by manually laminating fiberglass on molds. This has two disadvantages. The first is the dependence on the use of numerous molds, which are necessary in most subtractive manufacturing processes. The second is related to finding highly skilled personnel. These two conditions not only increase the cost of production, but also lengthen the product delivery time.
LFAM, or Large Format Additive Manufacturing, would remove these two conditions from the equation because it would make it possible to create parts having complex geometries while halving lead times, reducing material waste by more than half, and optimizing overall part weight. This overall savings would also speed up possible maintenance processes in the event of part degradation.
Thanks to LFAM, Caracol AM created the air grids for the Pershing GTX116 in just 72 hours, making use of the Heron 300 system. This technology features a high-precision extruder (HA) and a 3 mm nozzle. A reinforced ASA composite material, i.e., acrylonitrile styrene acrylate, enriched with 20 percent glass fiber, was chosen for the air grids, with dimensions of 4200 x 400 x 400 mm and weight of 40 kg.
As previously mentioned, the marine environment often corrodes vehicle parts, and this lightweight but strong material will ensure a longer life for the parts. The grills were then finished with gel coat to increase their strength and to give the parts the aesthetics required by the luxury industry.
The Pershing GTX116 (photo credits: Ferretti S.p.A)
Additive manufacturing technologies are thus a winning choice for all industries that require parts having not only specific strength and durability characteristics, but also meeting precise aesthetic standards. This technology allows the creation of complex parts intended for adverse environments that subject parts to corrosive, precarious, high temperature conditions typical of both the maritime and aerospace industries.
The Pershing GTX116 in particular is an excellent example of how luxury can meet additive manufacturing to meet the very high demands of this sector. Perhaps, in the not-too-distant future, it will be possible to see luxury yachts made entirely with 3D printing elegantly plying the Mediterranean routes.
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*Cover Photo Credits: Ferretti S.p.A