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Wilhelmsen inks agreement for drone delivery of 3D printed sparesWilhelmsen inks agreement for drone delivery of 3D printed spares

Wilhelmsen is aiming to deliver 3D printed spare parts to ships by drones under a new agreement with F-drones in Singapore.

Marcus Hand, Editor

June 10, 2020

1 Min Read
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Photo: Wilhelmsen

Wilhelmsen Marine Products division has inked an MOU with F-drones, which is developing high capacity drones and the only provider currently authorized by the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) to execute drone deliveries Beyond-Visual-Line-of-Sight (BVLOS) to vessels at anchorage.

Currently F-drones has a system capable of carrying 5kg payloads over 50 km and has the ambition to be able to carry 100 kg to vessels a distance of 100 km away.

Hakon Ellekjaer, head of venture, 3D Printing, Wilhelmsen said, “Exploring safe, reliable and inexpensive alternatives for last mile delivery of our 3D printed parts to our customers is key for us moving forward. F-Drones is actively developing a solution and their ambitions are very much aligned with our own, to disrupt the existing supply chain and offer a service that is faster, cheaper and greener.”

Wilhelmsen currently has six early adopter owners and managers signed up to its 3D printed spare parts programme.

Yeshwanth Reddy, co-founder of F-drones, said: “We are excited to be working together with Wilhelmsen’s 3D printing venture, which is at the forefront of commercializing on-demand manufacturing for the maritime industry.

“Its capability can provide a large variety of parts in different shapes, sizes, and materials. With our drones that can carry much bigger items over longer distances, we can catalyze the adoption of on-demand printing of parts for the maritime industry”.

Related:Wilhelmsen makes landmark supply of 3D printed parts to Berge Bulk vessel

About the Author

Marcus Hand

Editor

Marcus Hand is the editor of Seatrade Maritime News and a dedicated maritime journalist with over two decades of experience covering the shipping industry in Asia.

Marcus is also an experienced industry commentator and has chaired many conferences and round tables. Before joining Seatrade at the beginning of 2010, Marcus worked for the shipping industry journal Lloyd's List for a decade and before that the Singapore Business Times covering shipping and aviation.

In November 2022, Marcus was announced as a member of the Board of Advisors to the Singapore Journal of Maritime Talent and Technology (SJMTT) to help bring together thought leadership around the key areas of talent and technology.

Marcus is the founder of the Seatrade Maritime Podcast that delivers commentary, opinions and conversations on shipping's most important topics.

Conferences & Webinars

Marcus Hand regularly moderates at international maritime events. Below you’ll find a list of selected past conferences and webinars.

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