In the defence sector, there is often no time to wait.
Supply chains that incur lead times of weeks and months can create serious logistical vulnerabilities, especially when forward-deployed forces need to replace damaged parts, systems, or vehicles.
Navy SEALs, for example, often cannot afford such timescales on critical equipment, and so Voltage Vessels has sought to develop a distributed manufacturing approach for rigid hull inflatable boats (RHIB).
The company is utilising a composite material reinforced with basalt fibre, similar to what was used by the Soviet military in the Cold War for armour and infrastructure applications, and additive manufacturing (AM) to ensure RHIBs can be delivered on-demand and at the point of need.
Here, they use AM to produce a six-metre RHIB hull.
