Global engineering firm Renishaw has 3D printed several key components for INEOS Britannia’s new racing yacht.
The team is competing in the 37th America’s Cup. Taking place between 22nd August and 27th October 2024 in Barcelona, the prestigious sailing competition is the world’s oldest international sports trophy.
Renishaw’s metal additive manufacturing expertise was leveraged to design and 3D print parts for its prototype and final AC75 boats, currently competing in Barcelona.
Leveraging its RenAM 500Q metal 3D printer, Renishaw developed and fabricated bespoke parts including the bowsprit end detail, foil flap fairings, outhaul sheave box, and runner beam end-fitting. 3D printing allowed the team to meet complex geometry requirements without adding residual stress or weight that would reduce performance.
Live 3D printing process monitoring software was used to analyze each build layer, ensuring the parts were up to scratch before post-processing.
As INEOS Britannia’s official precision measurement and additive manufacturing partner, Renishaw also provided products and expertise in position encoders. These electromechanical devices provide digital position feedback to improve the racing yacht’s performance.
“The partnership with Renishaw taught us how to adapt designs to make our final parts better suited to the AM process,” commented Nye Davis, Procurement Project Engineer at INEOS Britannia. “The capabilities of the Renishaw team to add structural supports and process the printed part to our requirements ensured the success of this project.”
INEOS Brittania targets America’s Cup success
INEOS Brittania is hoping to become the first British team to win the America’s Cup in its third consecutive challenge. The team is led by Sir Ben Ainslie, a five-time Olympic medal winner and the most successful sailor in Olympic history.
Having qualified for the semi-finals of the Louis Vuitton Cup, INEOS Brittania’s hopes of America’s Cup victory are currently intact. Brittania secured their spot after defeating the Swiss (Alinghi Red Bull Racing) and Italian (Luna Rossa) teams. Success at the Louis Vuitton Cup would see them take on holders Emirates Team New Zealand for the America’s Cup prize.
INEOS Brittania’s 75-foot foiling monohull ‘Britannia’ AC75 racing yacht can reach speeds of up to 50 knots — over 60 miles per hour. In the lead-up to the competition, the team also developed a 28-foot test boat, and the ‘RB1,’ a full-sized prototype boat.
Michel Marie, Manufacturing Manager at INEOS Britannia, believes that the America’s Cup “is a design and engineering competition as much as it is a race.”
He added that the team could not build a winning boat with off-the-shelf components, with Brittania requiring a range of bespoke parts. These include the boat’s runner, flap fairings, bowsprit and outhaul sheave box, which influence performance factors such as speed and efficiency.
3D printing-enabled racing yacht
Marie called additive manufacturing a “key technology for us.” It allowed INEOS Brittania to produce “bespoke parts, such as the foil wings and rudder, from carbon fibre and other advanced materials using cutting-edge manufacturing processes.”
This enables the boat to withstand harsher conditions while reducing its weight and improving its performance. 3D printing also reportedly allowed the team to meet its tight budget and demanding deadlines.
When developing the RB1 prototype, INEOS Brittania identified a specific structural load case on the bowsprit. This spar runs from the front of the boat, where the headsail can be attached to unlock more speed and power when travelling away from the wind. The team wanted to prototype a new bowsprit end detail to provide additional strength to this component.
Chay Allen, AM Customer Applications Manager at Renishaw, called this part “an obvious candidate for additive manufacturing, due to the method’s ability to produce components rapidly and precisely.” The initial design featured overhangs which required several support structures, increasing build time and post-processing requirements.
Renishaw tackled these issues by introducing design for additive manufacture (DfAM) and optimizing the components for 3D printing. The company removed the bowsprit’s overhangs by changing the orientation of the part on the build plate so that only critical areas required support structures.
Renishaw also optimized the supports to anchor parts more effectively during 3D printing, preventing build failures. This included T-shaped supports which stiffened the structures and prevented distortion while being easy to remove once 3D printed. Additionally, the design for the outhaul sheave box features ten-millimetre diameter support pillars. These reduce the stress of the melting process, preventing the part from peeling from the plate.
All parts were 3D printed on the RenAM 500Q using Ti6Al4V ELI-406 metal powder, a material with high corrosion resistance and a good strength-to-weight ratio. The 3D printer’s four 500 W lasers can access the entire build platform simultaneously, boosting productivity and reading cost per part.
Nye Davis commended Renishaw for contributing high-quality 3D printed parts to its America’s Cup challenge efforts. “This collaboration also reinforces the capabilities of additive manufacturing as a high-quality, production manufacturing technique, for high-technology applications such as ours,” he added.
3D printing enhances competitive sailing
INEOS Britannia is not the only racing yacht team to recognize the advantages of additive manufacturing. Rival 2024 America’s Cup competitor Orient Express Racing Team has collaborated with global printing firm HP to optimize the performance of its AC75 boat.
3D printing has reportedly allowed Orient Express to lightweight components, customize designs, and achieve “unmatched precision.” Thousands of the 3D printed racing yacht components have reportedly been produced at HP’s 3D Printing Center of Excellence in Barcelona.
3D printer manufacturer Stratasys previously partnered with the New York Yacht Club American Magic to 3D print competitive sailing yacht parts.
American Magic comprises elite racing programs Bella Mente Racing, Quantum Racing, and the New York Yacht Club. This collective was established to compete in the 36th America’s Cup in 2021. The team leveraged Stratasys’ Fortus 450mc to 3D print reliable and repeatable end-use parts Nylon 12. Engineers also used the 3D printers to re-design and optimize new parts after each qualifying race
“Whether it’s for developing prototypes, controllers, brackets or fittings – Stratasys 3D printing ensures we can quickly build, iterate and produce industrial-quality parts necessary to take home the Cup,” commented Robyn Lesh, Design Team Engineer at American Magic.
Elsewhere, a 3D printed rudder blade suspension helped propel the Australian sailing team to victory at the 2021 Tokyo Olympic Games. The component was produced by aluminum specialist Fehrmann Alloys using its high-performance AlMgty alloy, offering high strength, ductility and corrosion resistance.
Want to help select the winners of the 2024 3D Printing Industry Awards? Join the Expert Committee today.
What does the future of 3D printing hold?
What near-term 3D printing trends have been highlighted by industry experts?
Subscribe to the 3D Printing Industry newsletter to keep up to date with the latest 3D printing news.
You can also follow us on Twitter, like our Facebook page, and subscribe to the 3D Printing Industry Youtube channel to access more exclusive content.
Featured image shows INEOS Britannia’s new AC75 race yacht. Photo via INEOS Britannia.
