The world?s first 3D printed offshore crane hook by Huisman, global manufacturer of heavy construction equipment, has successfully passed its load test and all associated standard quality control checks
Huisman has employed the 3D printing technique ?Wire & Arc Additive Manufacturing? (WAAM) to produce mid-size to large components with high grade tensile steel including a large four-prong hook, with an own printed weight close to 1,000kg.
According to the company, the 3D printed offshore crane hook aims to reduce the delivery time at a cost that competes with forgings and castings and a more consistent level of quality.
WAAM can also be used for manufacturing other components with complex shapes, short delivery times or local alternative material properties, to improve example wear and corrosion resistance.
?The positive WAAM testresults enable Huisman to manufacture reliable components that were physically impossible or commercially infeasible to produce before,? said the company.
?In the near future, Huisman aims to further improve the WAAM process by reducing the cost price for this technique and to increase manufacturing capabilities up to items of 2,500kg printed weight,? Huisman noted.
