Foam additive manufacturing technology: main characteristics and experiments for hull mold manufacturing
ISSN: 1355-2546
Article publication date: 3 August 2021
Issue publication date: 2 September 2021
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to present a novel methodology to produce a large boat hull with a foam additive manufacturing (FAM) process. To respond to shipping market needs, this new process is being developed. FAM technology is a conventional three-dimensional (3D) printing process whereby layers are deposited onto a high-pressure head mounted on a six-axis robotic arm. Traditionally, molds and masters are made with computer numerical control (CNC) machining or finished by hand. Handcrafting the molds is obviously time-consuming and labor-intensive, but even CNC machining can be challenging for parts with complex geometries and tight deadlines.
Design/methodology/approach
The proposed FAM technology focuses on the masters and molds, that are directly produced by 3D printing. This paper describes an additive manufacturing technology through which the operator can create a large part and its tools using the capacities of this new FAM technology.
Findings
The study shows a comparison carried out between the traditional manufacturing process and the additive manufacturing process, which is illustrated through an industrial case of application in the manufacturing industry. This work details the application of FAM technology to fabricate a 2.5 m boat hull mold and the results show the time and cost savings of FAM in the fabrication of large molds.
Originality/value
Finally, the advantages and drawbacks of the FAM technology are then discussed and novel features such as monitoring system and control to improve the accuracy of partly printed are highlighted.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
This work was carried out in the LS2N laboratory at the University of Nantes. The authors acknowledge the significant contributions to this paper by the following people: Mr Thomas BRESSAC and Mr Joachim MARAIS at the University of Nantes and are also grateful to CAPACITIES society for their assistance and technical expertise.
Citation
Paquet, E., Bernard, A., Furet, B., Garnier, S. and Le Loch, S. (2021), "Foam additive manufacturing technology: main characteristics and experiments for hull mold manufacturing", Rapid Prototyping Journal, Vol. 27 No. 8, pp. 1489-1500. https://doi.org/10.1108/RPJ-06-2020-0137
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
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