Prospects for the development of additive manufacturing in shipbuilding

This review article provides a comprehensive analysis of the current status, technological capabilities, and prospects for the implementation of additive manufacturing (AM) in the shipbuilding industry. It systematizes and compares global and Russian experience with additive technologies, focusing on identifying the most in-demand materials and technological solutions for the production and repair of ship components. Particular attention is paid to the metallurgical aspects of AM: the structural formation and properties of metallic materials synthesized using additive methods are examined in detail. The paper examines the typical defect types inherent in additive manufacturing and proposes scientifically based approaches to minimizing them and managing quality. The paper systematizes the key technological limitations, economic, and regulatory barriers hindering the implementation of additive manufacturing in shipbuilding, and develops strategic initiatives and approaches for overcoming them, based on the development of the regulatory framework, materials science, and post-processing technologies. It has been demonstrated that the further evolution of additive technologies and the associated materials science framework has the potential to transform traditional approaches to the design and manufacture of marine engineering products. This paves the way for significantly improving the operational efficiency of ships, reducing production time and costs, and optimizing spare parts logistics throughout all stages of the shipbuilding product lifecycle.

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