A world-leading consortium of industry and research leaders has announced a landmark project to develop the world’s first digitally enabled, additively manufactured propeller – a step that could transform marine propulsion and offshore operations, and redefine how these sectors design, build, and certify critical components, reports Deep Manufacturing.
Digitally Enabled Efficient Propeller (D.E.E.P) project
Funded by Innovate UK’s Clean Maritime Demonstration Competition, the D.E.E.P project combines additive manufacturing with digital twin technology to create smart propellers capable of monitoring their own performance. The initiative brings together Enki Marine Ltd, Stone Marine Propulsion, TWI, DEEP Manufacturing, Authentise, ASTM International, and Newcastle University.
The announcement comes during London International Shipping Week, and ahead of World Maritime Day, underlining the UK’s role in driving maritime innovation.
The Digitally Enabled Efficient Propeller (D.E.E.P) project aims to pioneer a new generation of marine propellers manufactured using advanced additive manufacturing (AM) processes, integrated with digital twin technology. This innovation will transform propellers from passive hardware into smart, cyber-physical systems capable of monitoring their performance throughout their operational life.
The D.E.E.P concept has secured funding from Innovate UK, part of UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) through the Clean Maritime Demonstration Competition (CMDC6) to launch the Techno-Economic Feasibility Study of Manufacturing Digitally Enabled Efficient Propellers.
Crucially, the project will investigate the technology readiness of multiple AM processes for the highly regulated and complex maritime sector, benchmark their performance against conventional casting methods, and establish a clear pathway towards classification approval and type certification. This approach will ensure that the project not only delivers technical innovation but also creates a credible framework for industrial adoption and regulatory compliance.
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Source: Deep Manufacturing
