The largest metal 3D printing device in the country has recently been completed in Tianjin by a team led by Professor Liu Changmeng from the School of Mechanical Engineering and Vehicle of Beijing Institute of Technology (BIT).

This technological breakthrough has overcome the technical challenges of unsupported 3D printing for overhanging structures, making it the first domestic large-scale metal lattice sandwich structure manufacturing.

Marine equipment is at the core of marine economic development and the construction of a maritime power. However, traditional equipment for resource development, such as marine floating platforms, is excessively costly, making it urgent to develop new materials and methods for manufacturing low-cost, high-performance floating platforms. Additive manufacturing technology provides an opportunity for structural transformation in marine equipment.

The team led by Professor Liu has a cross-scale additive manufacturing team that focuses on ultra-low-cost, large-scale additive manufacturing technology and equipment, and specializes in large-scale lattice structure additive manufacturing.

The team has overcome the technical challenges of unsupported 3D printing of overhanging structures and proposed a new process for free-forming overhanging structures using pulsed arc-assisted thermal wire, developing a new method for large-scale metal lattice structure 3D printing. It has independently developed a series of multi-arc parallel 3D printing equipment.

The 40-arc parallel additive manufacturing system developed by the team has recently entered trial production. This equipment can manufacture large-scale metal lattice structures up to 20 meters, making it the largest metal 3D printer in China, as reported by the media.

Professor Liu said that compared with traditional ship plate reinforced structures, the multi-arc parallel additive manufacturing of large metal lattice structures can reduce weight by more than 30 percent. Additionally, it offers functions such as vibration reduction, noise reduction and blast protection, making it suitable for marine transport equipment such as ships and submarines. The technology is currently undergoing verification for applications in various fields.

"We plan to launch a 50-meter-level floating platform with additive manufacturing steel plate lattice concrete structures by the end of 2025. This initiative aims to validate the modular construction approach and the comprehensive applicability of withstanding marine environments,"said Professor Liu.

Meanwhile, the team is planning to construct the world's first kilometer-level oceanic floating platform in the Bohai Sea. This platform will utilize various renewable energy sources such as wind, solar, wave and hydrogen energy to make it an efficient marine energy development platform. This initiative will provide solid support for the construction of deep-sea floating bases in China.