On-Demand Spare Parts: The Royal Netherlands Navy’s 3D Printing Solution

The Royal Netherlands Navy has a rich history and a modern edge. With a vast fleet of ships, helicopters, boats, and submarines, they are a global presence, often stationed far from home on challenging missions. Their commitment to excellence and innovation keeps them at the forefront of maritime defense.

Spare part and logistical challenges

The Royal Netherlands Navy faces the significant challenge of maintaining their fleet, wherever they are. Their assets often require spare parts, presenting a logistical dilemma. Carrying large quantities of unused spares consumes valuable space, adds weight, and incurs high costs. Transporting these spares, especially via helicopters, can take weeks and is extremely expensive, if it’s possible at all. Additionally, suppliers sometimes cease production of essential spares, complicating operations.

3D printing as a solution

To tackle this major challenge, the Royal Netherlands Navy has adopted 3D printing. This allows them to produce spare parts locally and on-demand. Each ship is equipped with UltiMaker 3D printers and a variety of materials, enabling them to print a wide range of applications.

Parts are designed and tested at their headquarters in Den Helder. Once approved, they are added to a digital catalog. Crew members simply need to select and print the necessary parts directly on board. The Navy also prints optimized parts for better performance, which can be distributed digitally, and produced locally.

The Royal Netherlands Navy uses UltiMaker's 3D printing software, Cura and Digital Factory, to meet strict operational requirements with secure and reliable production that aligns with IT security standards. Cura is the most popular slicing software used to prepare 3D models for printing, while UltiMaker's Digital Factory platform enables users to manage and monitor their 3D printers and print jobs remotely, enhancing workflow efficiency. Even with large teams, Digital Factory prioritizes security and ensures that data remains protected throughout the process without compromising accessibility.

The Royal Netherlands Navy uses a range of filaments, including ABS, PETG, and composite carbon fiber. For instance, PETG is selected for applications that require resistance to extreme temperature, wear, chemicals, and water and moisture absorption. In this instance, the Navy needed a material that would be resistant to saltwater. Using PETG, they 3D printed a new water filter to replace an old brass one

Composite carbon fiber filaments are used when parts need to be both strong and lightweight, such as a landing boat antenna bracket printed by the Royal Netherlands Navy. Marine antennas are essential for communications and safety. These mounts ensure they are securely in place and allow for the safe lowering and raising of the antenna. Carbon fiber is especially valuable as it allows traditionally heavy parts to be printed with a light material, reducing weight on the carrier as well as the need to transport heavy items across the globe.

This variety of materials allows the Navy to create parts suitable for any environment or condition. Parts on ships primarily require strength and wear resistance, while parts for land or air troops often need to withstand extreme heat or cold. For example, brackets mounted on land vehicles must endure prolonged sun exposure. With the Royal Netherlands Navy's global presence, these parts must be prepared for a variety of demanding conditions.

Thanks to Cura software's capabilities, UltiMaker 3D printers can seamlessly use both UltiMaker’s and third-party filaments, providing greater flexibility for users. Cura provides a streamlined experience with UltiMaker printers, offering optimized print profiles and faster printing, while maintaining compatibility with third-party products. UltiMaker is committed to regular security updates and providing new feature updates to its Cura users.

The Royal Netherlands Navy is a classic example where local manufacturing excels over traditional spare part solutions. Having printers on their ships prevents the need for large stocks of spares on the ships. Furthermore, many parts don't have to travel to remote locations, saving time and extremely high cost. These benefits also apply to many other industries. Factories can benefit from local part production, ensuring uptime of production processes, saving on industrial space and preventing parts to be flown in.