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- Voltage Vessels tests 3D printed naval boat for defense evaluation program
- Eclipse X9 combines recycled plastic with basalt fiber reinforcement material
- Material shows high tensile strength, validated by University of Maine testing
A small Hawaii company is attempting to alter naval manufacturing by replacing traditional shipyard construction with large industrial printers and basalt-reinforced thermoplastics.
Voltage Vessels, founded by Sam Young, recently submitted a 6-meter Rigid Hull Inflatable Boat (RHIB) for the United States maritime defense evaluation programs.
The vessel is produced using a Dutch CEAD additive manufacturing system capable of fabricating full-scale composite marine structures.
3D printing eliminates the old shipyard
Military RHIB platforms traditionally require fixed production facilities, extensive fiberglass work, specialized molds, and highly trained labour operating through lengthy manufacturing schedules.
Voltage Vessels argues that those systems create dangerous vulnerabilities during conflicts where damaged vessels require immediate replacement far from continental shipyards.
The company instead proposes distributed production hubs capable of printing replacement hulls directly from digital files using locally compounded feedstock.
The material driving this approach is called Eclipse X9, a composite combining recycled Polyethylene Terephthalate Glycol (PETG) thermoplastic with chopped basalt fiber.
Basalt is a volcanic rock that possesses unusually high resistance against corrosion, compression, environmental degradation, and long-term exposure to marine conditions.
According to testing validated through the University of Maine's Advanced Structures and Composites Center, Eclipse X9 demonstrated tensile strength approaching 108 MPa.
That performance level corresponds to pressure conditions found near the bottom of the Mariana Trench, the deepest abyss on Earth, at almost 11 kilometres deep.
The material reportedly retained more than 90% of its structural strength after prolonged saltwater immersion testing extending beyond 24 months.
Its water absorption remained below 0.4% throughout evaluation periods, an important figure because excessive uptake gradually weakens marine hull materials over time.
Voltage Vessels also claims Eclipse X9 delivers superior structural performance compared with established benchmark composites already used in additive maritime manufacturing.
Unlike aluminum structures, basalt composites do not significantly interfere with radio frequency transmissions supporting navigation systems, radar arrays, or communications equipment aboard unmanned vessels.
Distributed manufacturing could reshape Indo-Pacific naval logistics
The Pentagon increasingly favours distributed maritime operations throughout the Indo-Pacific region, where replacement vessels may face severe constraints and contested conditions.
Transporting replacement hulls from mainland American shipyards into Pacific zones consumes weeks, while depending upon vulnerable infrastructure networks.
Voltage Vessels argues that localized additive manufacturing could reduce replacement timelines dramatically because production would require only printers, electrical power, and regional material supplies.
The company states its domestic compounding infrastructure could eventually scale toward 15,000 metric tons annually through regional partnerships across Pacific territories.
Because PETG thermoplastics can be melted repeatedly without substantial degradation, damaged structures could theoretically be recycled directly into newly printed replacement components.
Whether Voltage Vessels can genuinely transform naval shipbuilding remains uncertain until independent defense laboratories validate their long-term operational performance.
Via Defence Blog
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