Materials
Picked for the sea. Not the shelf.
Most 3D-printed boat parts on the market are PLA, strong-looking on Etsy, dead after one Mediterranean summer. AdriaFab uses UV-stable engineering polymers and marine-grade stainless across every SKU. Here's what each material does and where it shows up.
ASA (UV-stable)
Where
Default body: Base, Phone Holder, Cam Mount.Why
Survives full sun and salt without yellowing or going brittle. Holds tolerance after a Slovenian winter on deck.Not for
Not used for parts under continuous load, that's TPU or PETG-CF territory.PETG-CF
Where
High-load brackets and the Starter Kit's stress-bearing cradles.Why
Carbon-fibre-reinforced PETG, stiffer than plain ASA. UV-stable, sweat-resistant.Not for
Slightly more brittle in deep cold (<-10 °C). Fine for boats, less ideal for ice fishing.TPU shock insert
Where
Rope/fender tidies and grip inserts inside the Base cradle.Why
Soft and shock-absorbing. Bites the rail without scratching the polish, dampens vibration from wave slap.Not for
Won't take a load on its own, it's always paired with an ASA shell.A4 / 316 stainless steel
Where
Every bolt, nut and washer.Why
Marine-grade stainless. Resists pitting in salt spray for years, even when the deck never gets a rinse.Not for
We never substitute zinc-plated mild steel. If it's metal and shipped from AdriaFab, it's A4.
Testing
Tested in Slovenian waters.
Every new SKU spends a full season on a test boat in the northern Adriatic before it ships. Salt, sun, frost, fender strikes: if it survives that, it ships. If it doesn't, we redesign it.
Sustainability
Print only what's ordered.
Made-to-order means zero overstock landfill. Failed prints are ground and pelletized for non-load-bearing reuse. ASA scraps go to a partner foundry in Maribor for filament regeneration.