After acquiring the American Philly Shipyard last year, Hanwha Ocean and Hanwha Systems are implementing metal additive manufacturing (AM, commonly known as 3D printing) technology at the shipyard to enhance its construction capabilities and shorten the building cycle.
3D printing technology is based on three-dimensional model data and uses powdered metal to construct metal parts through layer-by-layer printing. Alongside robotics and artificial intelligence (AI), it is considered a key technology for improving shipyard construction capabilities today.
After completing the acquisition of Philly Shipyard at the end of last year and renaming it “Hanwha Philly Shipyard,” Hanwha Group has not only set its sights on the U.S. cargo ship market but also plans to enter the new construction markets for LNG carriers and military vessels in the U.S. However, due to the shipyard’s outdated facilities, obsolete shipbuilding technology, poor tooling conditions, and low production efficiency, Hanwha Group has decided to invest over KRW 100 billion to revamp the facility. The goal is to increase its shipbuilding capacity from 1.5 ships per year to 10, while also becoming the first U.S. shipbuilder capable of manufacturing LNG carriers. Hanwha Group also aims to develop Philly Shipyard into a mid-to-large-sized shipbuilding enterprise with annual revenues of USD 4 billion (approximately RMB 28.8 billion) within 10 years by securing orders for high-value commercial vessels and U.S. Navy auxiliary support ships.
It is reported that South Korean shipyards typically source shipbuilding components from partner companies, but to shorten construction cycles, they have begun manufacturing some parts in-house. To this end, Korean shipbuilders are accelerating the development of core 3D printing technologies. As early as July 2015, HD Hyundai Heavy Industries announced the establishment of the Ulsan Creative Economy Innovation Center to incubate startups related to 3D printing, with plans to save time and costs in production by 3D printing various marine components.
In September 2022, Metal3d, a company based at the Ulsan 3D Printing Knowledge Industry Center, achieved mass production of large marine engine prechambers using 3D printing technology for the first time, breaking the previous reliance on imports. The company also signed a KRW 2 billion annual supply contract with HD Hyundai Heavy Industries for 3D-printed parts. This marked the world’s first use of metal 3D printing to manufacture and deliver marine engine components, reducing lead times from three months to one.
In May 2024, HD Hyundai Heavy Industries, in collaboration with the Korean industry, developed a 3D printing integration technology for in-service vessel maintenance parts, which passed the second-stage New Technology Qualification (NTQ) certification by the American Bureau of Shipping (ABS). This was the first international certification for 3D printing technology in the ship MRO (maintenance, repair, and overhaul) sector. Once commercialized, this technology could reduce supply times for MRO materials to just two days—cutting the current maximum of 13 days for standard products by 11 days and reducing custom product lead times from 233 days to just two. By March 2025, the new 3D printing technology had completed its final validation and demonstration.
Hanwha Ocean has also made breakthroughs in 3D printing. In May 2022, the company partnered with global 3D printing service provider Ingersoll Machine Tools (U.S.) to successfully “print” a 10-meter ABS plastic composite Twin Skeg model test ship. This was the shipbuilding industry’s first successful case of using Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM) 3D printing to produce a non-wooden model vessel.
Currently, Hanwha Ocean is training Philly Shipyard employees in additive manufacturing design, 3D printer operation, and digital production methods. Additionally, the shipyard is enhancing its shipbuilding capabilities through computerized parts information, satellite positioning systems integrated with central control methods, and VR-based training equipment.
Industry insiders in Korea note that Hanwha Group has formulated plans to build cargo ships or high-value vessels locally in the U.S., particularly focusing on LNG carriers. Furthermore, it aims to enter the U.S. military shipbuilding market through Philly Shipyard. The introduction of 3D printing technology will play a crucial role in this effort, as military contracts are government-procured, and delays in delivery can result in significant losses, with additional demand for specialized components.
