we build
unbreakable boats

Large scale 3D printing is a manufacturing process where a hull or boat component is built up layer by layer directly from digital design files, using a large-format 3D printer and a thermoplastic composite material. Instead of hand-laminating a hull in a mould, the printer deposits material along a programmed path until the part is complete : cutting weeks of manual labour down to days.

At the Dutch Boat Factory, we print with HDPro, a glass-fibre reinforced thermoplastic composite developed specifically for maritime use. It resists heavy impacts without cracking, doesn't absorb water like other thermoplastics, and is naturally more resistant to marine growth, so there's less fouling and less maintenance over the life of the boat. It's UV stable, so no extra coatings are needed.

3D printing lets us build hulls faster and with far less manual labour than traditional methods, while keeping the flexibility to customise each design. Because the material is impact-resistant, waterproof and low in maintenance, the boats that come off our printers also cost less to own over their lifetime.

Our printed hulls weigh about the same as a quality-built fibreglass (GRP) hull of the same size. A well-built aluminium boat will usually be somewhat lighter, and a carbon fibre boat will be considerably lighter. If minimum weight is your top priority, for example for racing or foiling, carbon is the better choice. In exchange for that weight, you get a hull that is tough, low-maintenance and easy to repair. The material absorbs impacts and deforms instead of cracking or delaminating, so it handles beaching, going alongside other vessels and heavy daily use. There's no gelcoat to crack, no osmosis and no corrosion, and the hull isn't bothered by UV or winter storage outside. Damage can be welded, in the field if needed, without laminating, curing or a specialist yard. And because we print without moulds, hull shape and length can be adapted without investing in new tooling.

Our hulls are delivered in black. The black comes from carbon black mixed into the material, and it is one of the most effective UV protectants for this type of plastic. It gives the hull proven long-term resistance to sunlight, without a coating that can wear off. Other colours are possible for larger series of hulls, but they need their own validation for UV stability. Contact us if you are planning a larger order. We don't paint or coat hulls, and we don't offer this as a service. The material has a low surface energy, which makes it very hard for paint, gelcoat and glue to bond to it permanently. Just as important, an uncoated hull stays made of a single material and can be fully recycled at the end of its life. The benefit is that the hull never needs repainting or gelcoat repairs.