The Us Navy partnered with Oak Ridge National Laboratory to 3D print its first submersible that could be used to deploy logistics capabilities and sensors.

Through a partnership with the Navy's Disruptive Technology Lab, the team at ORNL's Manufacturing Demonstration Facility (MDF) created the military's first 3D-printed submersible hull.

The Optionally Manned Technology Demonstrator is a prototype vessel that could be used to deploy logistics capabilities and sensors. In the future, vessels will need to be manufactured faster and incorporate new designs to support each Navy mission.

The team needed to create a 30-foot proof-of-concept hull out of carbon fiber composite material. With just four weeks to get the job done, the Navy didn't hesitate to get their feet wet—they dove right into learning about Big Area Additive Manufacturing (BAAM). The new technology deep-dive at the MDF lasted about a week. By week two they were printing their design. The rapid turnaround and round-the-clock printing of BAAM allowed the team to assemble the six pieces of the hull during the third week.

The cost of a traditional hull ranges from $600,000 to $800,000 and typically takes 3-5 months to manufacture. Using BAAM reduced hull production costs by 90% and shortened production time to a matter of days—giving the Navy the opportunity to create "on demand" vehicles while also saving time, money, and energy.

Last week, the Navy team received the prestigious NAVSEA Commanders Award for Innovation, but they aren't stopping yet. They're taking the plunge on the next phase of the project: creating a second, water-tight version of the hull that will be tested in the wave pool at Carderock—an elite testing facility that mimics the most compromising conditions that ships and submarines could encounter in the open ocean. Fleet-capable prototypes could be introduced as early as 2019.