Maersk uses 3D printers to make spare parts for some ships on board ships

It is reported that in April this year, the US Navy disclosed that a 3D printer was installed on the USS Essex aircraft carrier. This means that 3D printing has become a new technology adopted by the US Navy. But in fact, the Navy is not the only member of the sea to adopt 3D printing.
Maersk, the world's largest consolidator, plans to use 3D printers in July to make parts of some ships on container ships. As a consignment company that currently has more than 500 container ships for global maritime trade, the company said it will install 3D printers on its container ships. Although these printers can currently only be printed with ABS thermoplastics, Maersk said the company is investigating the possibility of using metal powder laser sintering printing and future utilization.
Since the container ship is damaged during the navigation period, it is difficult to quickly obtain a cheap and convenient replacement service in a short period of time. So 3D printing seems to be a perfect solution. Martha Josefine Rehnberg, Maersk's Purchasing Manager, said the company sent the blueprint to the crew members who are about to board the ship and then used 3D printing to get the parts in a matter of hours. Engineers can send a crew map on the ground and send a component map to allow the crew to complete 3D printing within a few hours and install the components on board.
However, since thermoplastics are the only materials available for current 3D printers, this imposes certain limitations on the spare parts being manufactured. However, in the future, more advanced printers will be expected in the market, and 3D printers will become important equipment and tools that cannot be ignored.