The brief for this was to create a bowsprit emblem with the CR Yachts logo. The yacht in question is a Cabo Rico 38 and is a beautiful example of the craftsmanship that these master craftsmen put out on a regular basis. The logo had to adhere to the dimensions of the bowsprit and survive the tough conditions at sea - typically these would be made of brass but experiments in casting using a lost PLA form proved unsuccessful (see our blog for more on that).
There was limited reference material so this started out as a series of back and forth sketches with the client until we were happy with the aesthetic.
In the end we went with a 3D printed option as this left the door open for their choice in finishes and helped to keep costs down. Knowing this we needed to ensure it survived its life at sea, so we designed it to be screw fixed with a silicon rubber membrane base and coated in a UV stable shellac after first being painted in the colours of the yacht. The material of choice was a white PETG which offers further UV stability and resulted in a nice “blank canvas” for the client to decorate in their colours of choice.
The following print settings were used in making the Bowsprit Emblem:
Brim: Yes
Rafts: No
Supports: No
Resolution: 0.2mm
Infill: 20%
Filament: PETG
Finish: White with post processing applied by client (Green & Gold paint with a coat of varnish)
Request a custom order and get this product personalised just for you.
We’ve included an image above comparing three different attempts at making this emblem; the first two are failed prints before the third was successful. Whilst frustrating at the time these failed prints help to illustrate the benefits of the additive manufacturing process.
The leftmost item shows the infill exposed as the print stopped halfway through. As you can see additive parts are often not solid which reduces weight and costs of materials
The middle item shows the addition of custom modifiers designed to give strength to the part only where it is needed, in this case where the fixings would go. I failed to toggle the right setting in preparing this print and hence it came out with the blocks protruding.
Iterative Design and Manufacturing - I updated and printed the previous parts in less than 2 hours allowing me to quickly review the design and incorporate changes.
Note: yacht not included 🤣