Voltage Vessels Develops 3D-Printed Navy Boat Using Basalt Composite

Voltage Vessels, a startup based in Hawaii, has introduced a six-meter rigid-hull inflatable boat (RHIB) fabricated through 3D printing with a volcanic basalt composite. This vessel is currently under evaluation for potential use in U.S. maritime defense and autonomous naval programs.

Transitioning to digital boat manufacturing

The company’s approach centers on additive manufacturing using a proprietary material named Eclipse X9. This composite consists of recycled PETG thermoplastic reinforced with chopped basalt fiber, a volcanic resource abundant in Hawaii. Unlike traditional boat construction, which depends on molds, fiberglass layup, and fixed shipyards, Voltage Vessels aims to enable distributed production. This would allow boats or replacement parts to be printed near operational locations rather than relying on centralized manufacturing facilities.

Such a model is particularly relevant for U.S. operations in the Indo-Pacific region, where replacing damaged maritime assets currently involves extended logistics chains. Voltage Vessels describes this method as a distributed composite manufacturing model, shifting production capabilities closer to deployed forces. Regional production nodes could print hulls and structural components directly from digital design files using locally sourced materials.

The six-meter RHIB was produced using a CEAD large-format additive manufacturing system, an industrial-scale printer already employed for composite applications. RHIBs play a critical role in naval missions, including boarding, personnel transport, maritime interdiction, and special operations. Voltage Vessels highlights vulnerabilities in conventional production methods, as damaged craft require replacement through centralized manufacturing and long-distance shipping. Their alternative is digital distribution, moving design files and feedstock rather than complete boats.

Eclipse X9 basalt composite for defense applications

The key enabling technology is Eclipse X9, a composite material combining recycled PETG with basalt fiber reinforcement. Basalt composites are already used in marine structures, rebar systems, and fire-resistant materials due to their corrosion resistance and chemical stability. Voltage Vessels reformulated this material specifically for large-format 3D printing.

Testing at the University of Maine Advanced Structures and Composites Center, cited by Defense Blog editor Dylan Malyasov, showed that Eclipse X9 achieved a tensile strength of approximately 108 MPa along the print orientation. This compares to about 49 MPa for the HDPro composite benchmark. The material also demonstrated bending strength exceeding that of common wood-filled PETG alternatives.

Additionally, Voltage Vessels reports that Eclipse X9 retained over 90% of its strength after more than two years of saltwater exposure, with water absorption remaining below 0.4%. Another feature attracting defense interest is its electromagnetic behavior. Basalt fiber is non-conductive and exhibits low dielectric properties, offering radio-frequency transparency advantages that could benefit autonomous vessels equipped with communications systems, sensors, and electronic payloads. Evaluation of specific operating frequencies is ongoing.

Implications for Indo-Pacific logistics

The broader significance of this technology may lie in logistics rather than the boat itself. U.S. military strategy increasingly focuses on distributed maritime operations across the Indo-Pacific, where transporting equipment from the continental United States to locations such as Guam or the Philippines can take weeks. Voltage Vessels suggests that locally printed hulls could reduce replacement times to days, requiring only printers, power, and feedstock.

The company states that its U.S.-based infrastructure could eventually handle around 15,000 metric tons of material annually, with plans for future regional production nodes across the Indo-Pacific. The manufacturing model also incorporates a circular economy aspect, as PETG thermoplastics can be reprocessed. Retired printed structures could theoretically be shredded and reused as feedstock for new production.