Nautical design for biocomposite additive manufacturing - una ricerca per comprendere se è possibile costruire prodotti nautici più sostenibili

This study aims to investigate whether it is possible to produce small nautical vessels and products that are more sustainable than those currently available on the market. The research is based on the premise that the production of watercraft is currently very costly from an environmental perspective. The standard production processes widely used in the nautical sector, especially the use of fiberglass composites with molding lamination techniques, have produced highly resistant, lightweight, and high-performance boats over the decades, but they are difficult to dispose of at the end of their lifespan. The study therefore aims to investigate additive manufacturing design and production methods that implement the use of bio-based materials, in order to find a possible solution to minimize polluting emissions, both during the production phase and at the end of their lifespan, when the product must be disposed of or recycled. Despite significant limitations due to the negative effects the aquatic environment would have on biomaterials, research has demonstrated that the use of bio-composite materials is feasible, as they can be compared to GRP in terms of production costs and structural capabilities, while achieving significant savings in terms of polluting impact. Furthermore, the ability to process bio-composites with 3D printing techniques further reduces the amount of waste material, shortens production times, and ultimately makes the entire production process more cost-effective. This demonstrates that, despite current significant limitations, the reduction in polluting emissions is real and significant, even during the production phase. The ability to completely replace standard GRP products is still some way off, but certainly foreseeable with the advancement of research and technological advances. To demonstrate this, a PoC of a 6m long vessel was developed, which was hypothesized to be produced using FDM technology, using a flax/PLA bio-composite, with different material infill percentages (100%, 50%, 25%), thus allowing the calculation of CO2 emissions savings, as well as economic and time savings during the production phase, thus demonstrating the real importance of continuing research in this direction.