NewsFender develops 3D-printed, modular boat fenders from recycled elastomer

Fenders are standard equipment on every vessel, but their design has hardly changed for a long time. Conventional fenders usually consist of foam cores with polyurea-based coatings whose production requires days of manual work and exposes employees to isocyanates and other problematic substances. In addition, the components are difficult to recycle and offer little scope for customer-specific geometries. The Barcelona-based company NewsFender instead relies on large-format 3D printing to rethink fenders and other boat components.

At the heart of the solution is a specially developed marine elastomer that can be processed using the FFF process on BigRep large-format printers. According to the company, the additive processes require only around three percent of the energy used in conventional manufacturing. The fenders are designed as modular one-meter segments that interlock like puzzle pieces. By specifically adjusting the infill structure, zones with different Shore hardness are created: softer on the outside for impact absorption, stiffer on the inside for dimensional stability. If damaged in use, individual sections can be replaced instead of having to swap out entire fenders.

“Whatever boat parts can be manufactured, we plan to print all of them with the BigRep machines. That can be the entire hull, seats or even an entire boat,” said Fernando Fortunato, CTO of NewsFender.

For security and governmental applications, NewsFender offers variants with additional functions. These include ballistically upgraded fenders, which are currently being tested for protection levels in accordance with NIJ Level II and IIIA, flame-retardant formulations, and glow-in-the-dark variants with UV-active additives that remain visible from a great distance at night. Integrated NFC chips can be used to read origin, production time and owner, which is particularly relevant in the event of loss at sea or in busy ports.

In parallel, the company is extending 3D printing to additional boat components: consoles, upholstery, wall panels and, looking ahead, entire hulls or rigid, non-inflatable workboats with continuous ballistic protection. For safety-critical components, the team first simulates high loads on digital models before moving on to physical testing and small-series production.

“Whatever boat parts can be manufactured, we plan to print all of them with the BigRep machines. That can be the entire hull, parts of a fuel tank, seats or even an entire boat,” said Fernando Fortunato, CTO of NewsFender.