Additive manufacturing can create parts with advanced materials that guarantee effective and cost-efficient solutions even in the most extreme environments, from the sky to space and the depths of the ocean. A prime example of this technological revolution is Velettrica, an Italian startup that used 3D printing to develop key components for the functional prototype of the SAIL-POD 25 sailboat engine. To discover how the use of cutting-edge technologies, such as 3D printing and biomimetic design, is opening new frontiers for “sustainable sailing,” we met with Velettrica founder Roberto Baffigo.
3DN: Can you introduce yourself and tell us about your connection to 3D printing?
Hello, my name is Roberto Baffigo. I was born in Rome in 1972 and have always been involved in sports, including rowing, sailing, mountain biking, skiing, and now swimming with fins. I studied physics, which stimulated my curiosity and desire to experiment. My connection to 3D printing comes from the world of jewelry: the transition from manual to digital prototyping was a real revolution that exploded with the availability of increasingly reliable and inexpensive printing techniques. Subsequently, 3D printing allowed me to quickly test all the inventions contained in Velettrica’s unique propeller.
Roberto Baffigo and the Velettrica team with the SAIL-POD 25 motor
3DN: How did Velettrica come about, and what is its mission?
Velettrica was born in 2021 from the dream of exploring impact-free sailing, an idea that matured during vacations at sea with my wife Chiara and our children Stella and Pietro Noè. I always dreamed of being able to travel with them in harmony with nature. I wanted to make the sailboat even more environmentally friendly by using an electric motor, not only for propulsion, but also to generate energy when powered by the wind. The motor developed as part of the Velettrica project is called the SAIL-POD 25.
Velettrica’s mission is clear: to develop energy-efficient propulsion systems, powered mainly by renewable sources, to reduce sea pollution. The heart of Velettrica’s innovation lies in a multifunctional propeller with an electronic control system, designed using a biomimetic approach inspired by whale shark fins. When not in use, this propeller closes into a flower shape, minimizing water resistance and optimizing the energy efficiency of the propulsion system.
3DN: Can you tell us more about the SAIL-POD 25 engine? How was additive manufacturing used in its production?
We used 3D printing for several components of the SAIL-POD 25. In some cases, the final parts were manufactured directly, while in others, rapid prototyping was used to make the molds or cores for the composite. It is a highly efficient electric propulsion and recharging system for sailboats, with a foldable, variable-pitch propeller. Easy to install, it takes up no space inside the boat, does not pollute, and requires no maintenance. It produces no noise, vibration, or heat.
Designed in Italy by Velettrica, 3DiTALY 3D printed some of the components of a working prototype of the engine by combining several materials and printing technologies. Formlabs’ Fuse 1 SLS printer and Nylon 12 powder were used to manufacture the core of the propeller blades: this thermoplastic has high tensile strength and environmental stability, making it particularly suitable for the production of complex assemblies and durable components with minimal water absorption. The first prototype of the propeller hub for dry testing, on the other hand, given its complex shape, was manufactured using Formlabs’ Form 3L SLA printer and Grey resin to achieve a high level of detail, a smooth matte surface finish, and optimal mechanical properties. Finally, the “special” mechanical parts are produced from Inconel or aluminum using DMLS technology, and the fin mold is manufactured from HDT photopolymer using SLS technology.
3DN: Why did Velettrica choose 3D printing?
For many components, it was the only option; given the “new” and complex nature of the patented mechanisms, it would have been impossible or excessively costly to produce them using traditional technologies.
Furthermore, 3D printing offers multiple advantages, such as the ability to produce rapid prototypes in less than 24 hours; cost reductions of up to 90% compared to machining; the production of complex parts such as propellers and turbine blades for underwater equipment; the possibility of using advanced materials with interesting properties such as fire resistance, reduced toxic emissions, and corrosion resistance; and finally, on-demand production, which allows designers to obtain parts exactly when and where they need them, thereby reducing storage costs, the risk of overproduction, and environmental impact, and promoting efficiency and sustainability.
Part of the propeller was made using resin 3D printing.
3DN: How do you see the role of additive manufacturing in the maritime sector?
The naval sector, particularly in the field of electric propulsion, is often characterized by or benefits from customized or semi-customized production. Additive manufacturing, as we mentioned, offers great freedom by reducing the costs of custom-made components. In addition, the advantages in terms of sustainability are both the savings in raw materials and energy in production compared to other techniques, and the ease of recycling the materials used at the end of the component’s life, mainly for thermoplastics. Finally, polymer materials are much closer to being dirt-resistant than metals, which means, for example in propellers, less dispersion of chemicals into the environment and maintained efficiency with the resulting energy savings.
3DN: Any final words for our readers?
We have many projects and dreams for the future. In the future, we want to fly, in the same spirit as sail-electricity, to travel the skies in the most sustainable way possible. A message to our readers: use 3D printing to “touch” your ideas; it is the tool that makes dreams come true.
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*All Photo Credits: Velettrica/3DiTALY/Formlabs