A new initiative, dubbed the Digitally Enabled Efficient Propeller (D.E.E.P.) project, aims to combine additive manufacturing (AM) with digital twin technology to produce a series of ‘smart propellers’ that can monitor their own performance throughout their operational lifecycles.
Funded by the sixth round of Innovate UK’s Clean Maritime Demonstration Competition (CMDC6), and led by Enki Marine Ltd, the D.E.E.P. consortium includes Stone Marine Propulsion, TWI, DEEP Manufacturing, Authentise and ASTM International, with Newcastle University providing hydrodynamic modelling and validation. The participants state: “The project will investigate the technology readiness of multiple AM processes; 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.”
The D.E.E.P. project officially commenced in September 2025, following an announcement at London International Shipping Week, and the first phase will focus on evaluating AM processes. “Subsequent stages will validate the demonstrator on Newcastle University’s research vessel, with the long-term aim of enabling type approval and scaling production for commercial adoption by the global fleet,” the project partners add.
