Shipbuilding project slashes emissions and speeds up lead times with 3D printing

A maritime project is using large-scale additive manufacturing to produce shipbuilding components. Having now completed its second phase, the study shows strong potential to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, secure supply chains, and deliver significant economic benefits for the sector.

03/11/2025 15:28:54

The project’s redesigned metal component – a topology optimised tapping ring – delivered a 10 percent reduction in emissions, cut lead times by 90 percent, and reduced vessel weight by 13 percent in testing.

Led by Glasgow-based Malin Marine Consultants (MMC), with support from the University of Strathclyde’s National Manufacturing Institute Scotland (NMIS), Marine Vessel Lightweighting (MariLight) 2.0 builds on an initial feasibility study aimed at shifting the sector away from traditional manual fabrication towards automated, flexible, and environmentally friendly manufacturing approaches.

Read the full article in DPA's November 2025 issue