Renishaw has collaborated with INEOS Britannia to develop and deliver several additively manufactured components for the AC75 race boat, unveiled this week after two and a half years of development for the 37th America’s Cup.
As part of the Britannia’s development, Renishaw provided expertise in position measurement, manufacturing process control, metal additive manufacturing (AM), and Raman spectroscopy. The additive manufacturing team produced key components including an outhaul sheave box, flap fairings, the bowsprit end detail, and a runner beam end-fitting using the RenAM 500Q quad-laser metal 3D printing system. These components were designed to reduce the boat’s weight, enhancing speed, efficiency, and overall performance. Additionally, Renishaw supplied position encoders to offer precise digital position feedback.
“Renishaw’s long-standing collaboration with INEOS Britannia makes our team incredibly proud,” said Chay Allen, Customer Applications Manager for Renishaw. “This year is particularly exciting as it has given us the opportunity to contribute to the manufacturing of the boat in the UK and provide support from our subsidiary in Spain. From our AM Solutions Centre in Barcelona, we can provide a rapid response should the team need additional support with additively manufactured components once racing has started.”
“We have been keeping Britannia under wraps for such a long time that it’s almost surreal to see her out of the shed and in public view here in Barcelona,” explained Sir Ben Ainslie, INEOS Britannia Team Principal and Skipper. “Thousands of hours of work have gone into this boat and so it’s great to finally reveal her to the world. We’re incredibly grateful to Renishaw for their support and the invaluable technology they provide.”
INEOS Britannia will compete at the Preliminary Regatta from August 22nd to August 25th in Barcelona, Spain. Following this, the five challenging teams will participate in The Louis Vuitton Cup — the Challenger Selection Series from August 29th to October 7th — aiming to earn the right to challenge the defenders, Emirates Team New Zealand, in the Louis Vuitton 37th America’s Cup match in October.
