The 3D-printed sailboat is being produced in one piece with recycled MyReplast™ material for Milan Design Week 2021.
After the success of the 3D Bar – a 3D-printed bar made from recycled coffee cups – featured in the 2019 edition of Fuorisalone, Caracol returned to Milano Design Week with an even more exciting project of large-scale additive manufacturing.
Caracol and NextChem (Maire Tecnimont Group) partner to create Beluga: a joint research project to produce the first one-piece 3D-printed sailboat prototype using recycled MyReplastTM material. The sailboat – a symbol of new beginnings, relaunching, exploration, and here also innovation in the world of manufacturing – will be officially presented at the 2021 edition of Milan Design Week.
Caracol works with its automated additive manufacturing system that can be used to improve the efficiency of various production methods while providing a more environmentally friendly solution.
Conventional methods of producing sailboats usually entail methods that require molds and the use of materials that are difficult to recycle such as fiberglass. For this reason, Caracol used its automated additive manufacturing system to produce the hull of the sailing boat in one piece. This large-scale additive manufacturing system operates with a patented Caracol extruder and a 6-axis robotic arm, generating significant advantages in terms of costs, sustainability, lead time and part performance.
Beluga will be presented from the 5th to the 10th of September at a location in the heart of the Isola Design District, Via Angelo della Pergola 11/4, where during the week guests will talk about the project and various topics related to it: from innovation in manufacturing to the circular economy and plastic recycling. It will be an immersive experience in the world of large-scale 3D printing and in the possibilities offered by material recycling.
Circular economy processes that give new life to plastic waste could become increasingly vital as a source of raw materials for both design as well as industrial applications. The presented sailboat is manufactured using MyReplastTM material. These materials recovered through higher waste recycling processes are an example of how recycled polymers can be used successfully to produce advanced components with high performance requirements.
Caracol, a company from Lomazzo (CO), was born from the idea of overcoming the limits of manufacturing and finding new, more efficient and sustainable solutions. Today, Caracol offers a range of different and extreme additive manufacturing solutions to its customers in different sectors, without scale limits.
None of this would have been possible without the support of our partners. Beyond MyReplastTM – NextChem’s brand for Upcycling technology and recycled polymers – Project supported by: Euroscatola – company that also produces packaging with recycled materials, Santo Stefano Yacht Club – sailing club associated with Federazione Italiana Vela that supplied its team of athletes , their locations and know-how in boat testing and verification, Elli – a furniture design company that works with the best Italian craftsmen and the most advanced technologies and who shared some of their furniture pieces manufactured using Caracol technology and recycled materials for installation, and Bombeer – who supports the event as the Official Food and Beverage Partner.
