Sailboat hulls are made out of varying materials, But each of these varying materials takes a piece of the environment and is then dumped when not in use.
This makes up a certain percentage of plastic
waste on the earth.
What if, All this can be upcycled, turning waste into usable materials.
Not only would this reduce the amount of plastic waste in the environment,
But it would also increase sustainability in the long run.
This sailboat hull was 3D printed in one piece,
Not only is this game-changing but it also proves the viability of upcycling.
The printing process makes use of recycled plastic, then uses it as the main building material.
Beluga is a prototype that shows the immense advantage of upcycling,
Particularly when applied to traditional manufacturing material.
Beluga, a product of a partnership between Caracol and energy company Nextchem,
that produces MyReplast recycled plastic materials.
When it comes to making sailboat hulls- the process is complex and lengthy.
It requires complex moulds and delicate materials like fibreglass.
In the case of ‘Beluga’, the hull was printed by six-axis robotic arms.
Using specifically repurposed recycled plastics as ‘ink’.
Articulated robots, or 6-axis robots, are easier to align to multiple planes, simple to operate and maintain,
and easily redeployed for plastic injection moulding automation applications on various types and sizes of plastic injection moulding machines and a wide range of upstream and downstream applications.
This process doesn’t just introduce sustainability,
it is more affordable and cuts down the time by a large percentage.
Once again,
Not only is there a massive potential for upcycling but also a growing market that focuses on eco-friendly sustainability.
Source: Mashable
