Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering Cuts Model Ship Production Time by 40% Using 3D Printer

Global 3D Printer Specialist Ingersoll and
Successful Prototype Production of Composite Plastic Model Ship
Streamlined Production Period Enhances Shipowner Responsiveness
Dojoyang "Will Lead Market with Differentiated Technology"

Model ship produced using 3D printing technology. Photo by Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering

[Asia Economy Reporter Donghoon Jeong] Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering (DSME) has demonstrated differentiated technological capabilities by introducing '3D printing' technology in the field of ship model testing.

On the 24th, DSME announced that it succeeded in producing a 10-meter-class test twin-screw ship model made of composite plastic material (ABS) in collaboration with Ingersoll, a global 3D printer specialist headquartered in the United States.

To build a new ship at a shipyard, a scaled-down model of the ship's shape is made and tested in a large tank to evaluate the ship's performance in advance. Until now, most of these model ships used for testing have been made of wood.

Amid this, DSME succeeded for the first time in the industry in producing model ships made of composite plastic material instead of wood by applying 3D printing technology (material extrusion method).

By applying DSME's 3D printing technique, the model ship production period, which previously took three weeks, can be reduced by up to 40%. It also allows for quicker and more flexible responses to sudden experimental demands from customers. Additionally, utilizing an unmanned automated system is expected to greatly contribute to cost reduction and productivity improvement.

Moreover, this model ship is made of composite plastic material instead of wood, offering excellent waterproof properties. After testing, some materials from the model ship can be recovered and reused as raw materials, earning favorable environmental evaluations.

DSME's recent success is interpreted as a result of the integration of various ship structure and vibration-related R&D efforts and experiences accumulated through advanced research facilities such as its own towing tank and joint tank.

Meanwhile, Ingersoll, responsible for prototype production, is a large 3D printer specialist company headquartered in the United States and operating in places including Italy, currently applying 3D printing technology across various manufacturing sectors. Notably, Ingersoll attracted attention from visitors by showcasing the ship model production process at JEC World 2022, the world's largest composite materials exhibition held recently in Paris, France.

An Ingersoll official said, "This collaboration with DSME will be an innovative case signaling the start of the 3D printing era across the industry, including the International Towing Tank Conference (ITTC)."

Choi Dong-gyu, Executive Vice President and Head of DSME Central Research Institute, also said, "This success will be an important turning point in the paradigm of model ship production methods. DSME is expanding the innovation theme of digitalization to all parts of products, shipyard sites, and R&D, and this achievement is one of the successful cases."

DSME plans to finalize the verification of this prototype model ship at the research facilities within the Siheung R&D Campus and will consider introducing 3D printing equipment in the future.