The University of Maine created three Guinness World Records by composite 3D printing

The Umaine Center for Advanced Structural and Composite Materials has won three Guinness World Records with the world's largest prototype polymer 3D printer, the largest solid 3D printed object and the largest 3D printing ship.

The University of Maine created three Guinness World Records by composite 3D printing

One of the most eye-catching world records is the world's largest 3D printing ship, 3Dirigo. The 25-foot, 5,000-pound ship is being tested at the offshore model test facility Alfond W2 Marine Engineering Laboratory. At the ceremony held at UMaine, members of the Maine government, senators, US Department of Energy officials, university presidents, and R&D team representatives boarded the ship to showcase the 3D printing ship.

The world's largest prototype polymer 3D printer has the ability to print 100 feet long, 22 feet wide, and 10 feet tall at 500 pounds per hour. The new printer will support a number of R&D programs, including the development of bio-based materials using cellulose derived from wood resources, and rapid prototyping manufacturing for applications in defense and infrastructure.

In the future, UMaine will work with the US Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) for a total investment of US$20 million to support basic research in key technology areas for large-scale biobased additive manufacturing. The partnership between UMaine and ORNL will drive the production of new bio-based materials that facilitate 3D printing of large, complex systems. The research collaboration will focus on the production, drying, functionalization, and compounding of cellulose nanofibers, and plans to create bio-derived recyclable materials systems that perform as well as traditional materials such as metals.