This 10-meter boat is 3D printed: Cyberfin

I remember when I saw the world’s first 3D printed boat. MAMBO, a revolutionary Italian project, was unveiled at the 2020 Genoa Boat Show. The incredible shapes this 6.5-meter boat had were proof of the creative potential of 3D printing. But the technology certainly does not stop. On the contrary, 3D printing is becoming increasingly popular even at the amateur level, with many inexpensive printers ready to use, so much so that it is no longer so rare to find one in our homes. Hand in hand, the materials, sizes and skills of professionals are also progressing, as they compete in ever more avant-garde designs.

Cyberfin: the 3D printed boat

Inoventive 3D, a Dubai-based company working in large-format 3D printing in the region, has unveiled Cyberfin, its version of a printed boat. It is a catamaran a full 10 meters long by 2.1 meters wide, powered by a single outboard engine. Unfortunately, there are not many details available about the specifications, such as weight, power, speed and fuel consumption, but this should not be surprising, since we are talking about prototypes.

The benefits: time and cost

The name refers to the flashy livery that resembles a robot shark. Again, understatement is not the hallmark of these projects, the purpose of which is precisely to draw attention to the possible applications of this technique if applied on a large scale. The benefits, in fact, may be manifold:

• Most obvious is that a press is a “direct” method of construction, meaning no molds and – virtually – no scrap. This means having access to highly customizable, and potentially even cheaper, units.
• The second, equally remarkable, is the speed. Cyberfin was printed in just over 6 days, and Inoventive 3D claims to be able to produce 6-7 examples per month, at a third of the price of a “conventional” boat: numbers, if verified, truly remarkable.
• Last but not least: many of the extrudable materials used in 3D printing are obtained from recycling. This one, in particular, is made from plastics recovered from the oceans.

Toward the future and beyond

Cyberfin is just the most recent chapter in the development toward a boating of the future, one that will hopefully be increasingly sustainable. A little more than a year ago, not far from Dubai, to be precise in Abu Dhabi, also in the United Arab Emirates, Al Seer Marine unveiled the world’s largest 3D printed boat (12 m), still officially a Guinness World Record holder.

Stefano Monfroni