Jim works at a 3D printing company and owns a 3D printer he built himself. 3D printing involves using bondable materials such as powdered metal or plastic to construct objects layer by layer. The boat he created is composed of 28 colored ABS plastic pieces. ABS plastic is a common and durable thermoplastic material. Each piece is connected with copper screws and silicone, with the silicone providing excellent waterproofing.
The boat is 16 feet 8 inches long (approximately 5 meters), 1 foot 8 inches wide (approximately 0.4 meters), and weighs 64.58 pounds (approximately 30 kilograms). According to Jim, to achieve the ideal effect for the boat, he specifically modified his printer by installing heating equipment to prevent the boat from warping or cracking.
Jim's 3D boat is not the first application of 3D printing technology. In May 2013, the first 3D-printed handgun was created, though it faced opposition from gun control advocates. In February of this year, a British printing company manufactured the first 3D-printed bicycle. 3D printing technology is also being applied in medicine, with 3D-printed joints and bones bringing hope to patients.