Moi Composites, a tech start-up that 3D prints custom products using advanced composite materials, unveiled MAMBO (Motor Additive Manufacturing BOat), a 3D printed fiberglass boat at the ongoing Genova Boat Show 2020.
MAMBO represents the first ever real functional boat to be 3D printed in continuous fiberglass thermoset material. The sleek blue shiny boat with next generation design and manufacturing is an instant attraction at the show.
MAMBO: The 3D Printed Fiberglass Boat
MAMBO showcases the power of 3D printing through its innovative shape. Such a complex design cannot be achieved through traditional manufacturing processes. It was digitally crafted in patented 3D printing technology, Continuous Fiber Manufacturing (CFM) that has the capability to rapidly manufacture fiber integrated 3D printed parts unlike many of the prevalent composite manufacturing technologies.
The products thus manufactured through the CFM technology are super strong, ultra-durable and lightweight. Moi’s robotic system also allowed for large parts to be manufactured.
Speaking about MAMBO, Gabriele Natale, CEO & Co-founder of Moi Composites said, “We participated in the Genoa boat show in 2017, and it was during this event that we came up with the idea of making MAMBO. We saw the project take shape first, then brought it to life, and finally MAMBO arrived today at the sea. We have 3D printed a boat, enhancing the concept of customization with a one-of-a-kind design created and tailored from the owner’s mind, to give everyone the opportunity to understand and experience the sea in their own way. All this would not have happened without the support of our partners, who believed with us in this ambitious project.”
MAMBO, the 3D printed fiberglass boat, measures 6.5 meters long by 2.5 meters wide, has a dry weight of approximately 800 kg, and is equipped with a real navigation system, cork flooring, white leather seats, and 115 cv engine. MAMBO signifies the latest in design and production innovation, efficiency, and personalization. The hull is an inverted tricycle inspired by the famous Arcidiavolo by Sonny Levi, on which organic forms chase each other and are transformed into structural and functional elements. The various sections were printed using two KUKA Quantec High Accuracy robots in Milan, at Moi Composites’ headquarters and in Autodesk’s AMF (Advanced Manufacturing Facility) in Birmingham, United Kingdom, to exemplify on-site manufacturing, considered one of the most important strengths of 3D printing.
The 3D printed pieces were joined and laminated at Catmarine shipyard, creating a one-piece sandwich structure, without hull-deck division. The tireless and uninterrupted work of the robots combined with the wise and passionate skill of the craftsmen of the yard have given life to a hybrid and new industrial system, as technological and digital as analog and tailored, which today enables the impossible to become possible. Moi’s partners in the MAMBO project include a team of global experts in automation, composite materials, and the nautical industry: Autodesk, Catmarine, Confindustria Nautica, Mercury Marine, MICAD, Osculati, and Owens Corning.
To date, MAMBO represents not only the first 3D printed fiberglass boat to be used in real navigation, but also a window to a new sea of possibilities and an invitation to reflect on the way in which we judge the realization of possible or impossible ideas.
About Moi Composites: Moi Composites (Moi) is a tech start-up that 3D prints custom, powerful products using robots and advanced composite materials. Free of molds as well as traditional design and time constraints, Moi’s patented process innovation can produce strong, lightweight, unique objects in incredible new shapes, sizes, & performances, cost effectively on demand.
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