TAHOE Boats is part of the White River Marine Group, a Bass Pro Shops marine manufacturing subsidiary, which announced a new, revolutionary, family-oriented T16 boat design. Using innovative 3D printing technology, the T16 offers a lightweight design and a better price, and makes an uncompromising commitment to quality and performance.
"The new T16 will enable more families across the country to engage in water sports and fishing," said Maurice Bowen, marketing director of White River Marine Group. "Using innovative design and manufacturing processes, we are expanding the market without sacrificing customers. With the desired performance and quality, this new model is lighter, easier to drag and more affordable. "
The White River Marine Group has partnered with Thermwood to use Thermwood's Large-Scale Additive Manufacturing (LSAM) system to custom print tools for manufacturing hulls. This is the first time that 3D printing technology has been applied to such a large-scale ship production. TAHOE Boats said that advances in this shipbuilding technology have improved the planning, design and construction efficiency of the T16.
The Thermwood 3D printed master pattern of the ship's hull at a development / demonstration lab in Dell, Indiana. The pattern is printed into six sections from 20% carbon fiber-filled ABS material, and the joints between each section are machined, fixed, and glued together. The assembled hull is then machined to its final size and shape. According to Thermwood, the entire process was completed in ten days. The mold is sent to the White River, where it is sanded and finished with a proprietary coating.
Thermwoods says that with its new vertical layer printing, which was not yet available when the mold was made, molds can be produced in less time. In fact, this type of pattern can now be printed as a whole in two days, eliminating the machining and bonding processes between the parts, which can cut the build time in half.
"Additive manufacturing has the potential to dramatically change the way ships are built," said Ken Susnjara, founder, chairman and CEO of Thermwood.