Robotic-Arm 3D-Printed Boats

St. Petersburg Firm Haddy Unveiled Its 3D-Printed Military Drone Boat

Haddy used large-format robotic additive manufacturing to produce the TF-179 Drone Boat, an unmanned surface vessel built at the company’s St. Petersburg, Florida facility. The project uses industrial-scale robotic 3D-printing systems to build large structural components layer by layer from composite materials.

Haddy’s facility operates eight large-format additive manufacturing systems from CEAD, including seven mounted on rails to extend their working range. The company has previously used similar methods to produce carbon-fiber-reinforced unmanned vessel hulls and has demonstrated design-to-sea-trial timelines as short as nine days. The manufacturing process allows digital design changes to be implemented without retooling conventional production lines.

For defense and maritime operators, the approach can support faster prototyping, reduced tooling requirements and more flexible low-volume production. The project reflects growing interest in additive manufacturing for rapidly produced unmanned military platforms.

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