| The high quality of wielding needed to weld together the segments of the submarine's hull is extremely expensive, and one of the primary factors that determine the overall cost of the submarine.
Could the hull be made out of 2 or more panels formed by injected metal casting, the high cost of wielding could be avoided. However with traditional methods, making the mold for the submarine hull would almost equal the cost of the traditional welding. Recently however a 3d printer that uses concrete has been developed for rapid housing construction. The machine, able to operate 24/7, would be able to make a house in a single day, at a cost far below current methods.
It is my opinion that this technology can be adapted for the construction of massive molds for hull casting, both for submarines and surface ships. Heating elements built within the mold would allow the control of the cooling process, allowing a uniform and gradual cooling to prevent hull imperfections.
http://www.contourcrafting.org/
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