Have you ever seen a star destroyer and been amazed? Obviously, not in person (unless you're from a galaxy far far away) but the wow factor of that ship still brings me a lot of joy to this day. The ship is apparently designed to only dock every 5 years, meaning 5 years of exploration! Pretty cool right? However, it always amazed me that a ship of that caliber could easily be taken down with a damaged part, either an engine, a hyperdrive component or even running a ship into the command bridge. It recently occurred to me that despite being so technology advanced, how did no one think of additive manufacturing for these solutions? It got me thinking about how we can use this technology in todays world.
The Price of Preparedness: How Spare Parts Impact Maritime Efficiency
The closest star destroyers we have on earth are our ships: Large vessels, travelling far distances for long periods of time. We rely on the maritime industry a lot when it comes to transporting our goods, which is why it was valued at 152 billion USD in 2023, and estimated to grow to 250 billion USD by 2032. With this immense value on our ships, there are a lot of safety precautions that need to go into place before a ship sets sail. Parts need to be checked, damages to the hull need to be checked, and then loading up the ship with a bunch of spare parts to make sure it doesn't run into any problems on the sea. This makes the planning of a ship to set sail extremely painful as if there are any damages, it could take weeks, or even months for that part to get replaced as the manufacturing process is a long winded one. Not to mention, the space that these spare parts take on a boat takes up a considerable amount of space on the ship, which isn't the most cost effective method, especially if you could be making more money if that space was used for cargo instead.
Advantages
That's why I think we're in a new age, since we don't want to sink like the Star Destroyers, we can make ours better! Imagine a 3D printer on board our cargo ships, wouldn't that be helpful and super futuristic? Usually, ships needs to be repaired on land but now, they can be repaired on sea! Here are some advantages to why it makes sense:
Speed and Efficiency
Let's say you're out on sea and then oops! three valves have burst. Luckily, you had some spare parts to account for that but now you're out! Now you're in a dilemma: do you sail and dock the ship at the closest port, which detours you or do you press on? Most captains would prioritize safety and dock the ship at the nearest port. This is a huge inconvenience though. You'll be hours or even days off schedule, the weather you planned for could now change and it'll probably cost you more to dock the ship if you factor in fuel, etc. If a 3D printer was on board, you'd use your spare parts to fix the bursts, and then print some spares whilst sailing to your destination! Then the only time you'll ever need to dock is when you need to complete a shipping order or for fuel, which is usually done at the same time.
Customizable Solutions
You truly don't know what will go wrong out in sea. Literally anything could break, it being a standard pipe or you losing your last water bucket, who knows! Unfortunately, we cannot see into the future like Yoda, making it hard to plan for such contingencies. Luckily, with a 3D printer, you may not have to. Whatever you can design in a software, it can be printed. If you need a new bucket, you can print a new bucket. If a chair leg snapped off during a wave, you can print a new chair leg. Those are more funny ones but the applications are endless. Hull components, electrical enclosures, pipe fittings / components, the ability to customize print whatever you need is a real help in not only the maritime industry, but I'd say most!
Cost Reduction
I'd say this one is a fairly obvious one. If you are outsourcing your spare parts to a manufacturing company, you no longer need to with the use of a 3D printer. Additionally, heaps of material gets wasted in traditional manufacturing methods, whereas 3D printing only prints what you need. Instead of paying for one time use molds, materials and labour, you just need to pay for the materials to get your parts. Lastly, the ability to print spare parts on board will reduce the inventory-space needed to store such maritime components, allowing more cargo on board, which equates to more money.
These are just some of the advantages that 3D printing can add to the maritime industry but there are tons more.
Limitations
The only complication I see with 3D printing is the certification, as it would be a relatively new and innovative idea to implement but once these certifications are met and it is normalized, I truly only see it as being a benefit to our maritime industry.
Conclusion
In a galaxy not so far away, the real Star Destroyers of our world—the mighty cargo ships—could benefit immensely from additive manufacturing. By bringing 3D printers onboard, ships can replace parts on the fly, bypass costly detours, and free up space for extra cargo. This isn’t just the “high ground” of maritime preparedness; it’s a light-speed jump into more cost-effective, efficient, and flexible shipping. Sure, certification could be a minor trench run, but once cleared, it’s clear sailing ahead! With 3D printing, ships wouldn’t just survive their journeys—they’d thrive. After all, why let a bad hyperdrive ruin a perfectly good adventure?
If you're interested to know more, feel free to contact us and we can help steer you in the right direction!
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