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Marine technology specialistecoSUB Robotics已经揭示了如何在其“生态室”生产中采用3D打印，这有助于使自动驾驶水下汽车（AUV）尽可能易于访问。
While the ecoSUB is designed to offer users a uniquely affordable means of conducting deep sea monitoring missions, it still needs to be capable of operating at a depth of 2,500m, to meet the needs of its commercial and military clientele.
In order to strike this balance between efficiency and resilience, the AUV’s creators have therefore begun 3D printing its prototypes and a selection of its end-use components, in a way that has allowed them to make significant cost-per-part gains, without having to sacrifice on product quality.
“3D printing is preferred over injection molding as we find the technology more versatile, and the design freedom allows us to innovate great parts,” said Jeremy Sitbon, Chief Robotics Engineer, Marine Robotics Systems at ecoSUB Robotics. “Also, our volumes are low, so injection molding would not be economical. Add in the fact that with 3D printing we can customize designs for individual clients, and the choice is clear.”
“我们在水下车辆中使用的零件必须坚固，坚固且绝对符合设计意图。”
Delving into the deep on a budget
Prior to being spun-out by Planet Ocean Limited in 2017, ecoSUB Robotics was effectively founded in 2015, as part of anInnovate UK和DSTL- 后面的项目，其中包括“ Ecosubu”车辆的研发。在AUV成功的发布和恢复之后，其创作者后来提出了一个较大的迭代，称为“ Ecosubm”，该迭代可能会携带较重的有效载荷，并引起了强烈的初始兴趣。
从那时起，EcoSub机器人技术已经自行出发，同时继续利用更广泛的导航和工程技术的进步，以升级其潜艇的能力。例如，该公司使用现代的Micro-DVL技术说，其AUV现在能够更好地收集地理参考数据，使其能够以提高的精度导航，并使用侧面扫描声纳进行操作。
Yet, despite the ecoSUB’s growing capabilities, its creators still see cost-efficacy as its chief USP. According to ecoSUB Robotics, traditional AUVs can cost north of £500,000, while its ‘ecoSUBu5’ system is cheap by comparison, at around £10,000. As a result, when it comes to applications in hostile environments, where the chances of vehicle loss is high, the firm says its device offers a far less risky option.
即使该公司已经接受了两年的商业AUV订单，但它仍继续投资“重新旋转”其系统的许多部分，以使其尽可能易于访问和可靠。这种持续的自我完善方法使它与服务局合作3DPRINTUK, with which it has gone on to optimize the ecoSUB’s prototyping process, as well as its part cost.
“The reason that cost is so important to the company, is that they see enormous potential for their underwater vehicles not just to be used by professionals within the military and oil and gas sectors, but also research scientists gathering important information about climate change,” said Nick Allen, MD of 3DPRINTUK. “Price is key to making this advanced technology available to a wide user group.”
An AUV-optimizing partnership
在采用3D打印的过程中，EcoSub Robotics表示，3Dprintuk一直是理想的合作伙伴，因为它不仅为规格提供了零件，而且还使用其设计为AM（DFAM）专业知识来帮助他们从中推动“最大效率”。
在经过修订的研发工作流程中，这意味着该公司现在订购了3dprintuk的小型原型批次，然后将其集成到海洋车辆中。如果他们按预期工作，那么该公司将继续使用两种粉末床融合技术来利用每个粉末床融合技术，从而通过其合作伙伴的SLS和MJF制造服务要求大量这些零件。
Sitbon解释说：“车辆中有两种不同类型的零件和组件，可以看到的外部零件以及无法看见的内部零件。”“为了可见性，外部零件必须为黄色，我们将SLS用作技术的生产比MJF更白，我们认为这使得添加了一种更加确定和引人注目的颜色。”
By contrast, given that the AUV’s internal parts don’t need to be as visually appealing, ecoSUB Robotics says that it orders these via 3DPRINTUK’s MJF service, as it yields greyer components, but they tend to be less expensive.
Moving forwards, the firm anticipates that it will eventually address all its 3D printing needs with MJF, due to pricing considerations as well as the “more exacting tolerances” that can be made on jetted parts which lead to “improved detailing,” but in the short-term it remains more than happy to follow 3DPRINTUK’s advice on which technology is best to use.
“We will continue to use 3DPRINTUK as we have not found an online ordering system that comes close to theirs in terms of ease-of-use, and the team has an enormous depth of knowledge in material selection, DfAM and print optimization that benefits us on every level,” concluded Sitbon. “The assessment of SLS and MJF will [also] continue, and we are happy to be guided as to which process to use for internal and external applications by the 3DPRINTUK team.”
AM’s marine monitoring applications
Using 3D printing, it’s now possible to produce parts with the necessary resistance properties to enable their deployment within deep sea applications, and a number of firms have chosen to do so in recent years. Back in April 2020,Qysea揭示它正在与Farsoonto3D print protective coversfor its FIFiSH V6 ROV.
Likewise, Dive Technologies is also known to 3D print elements of its customizable‘DIVE-LD’deep-sea surveillance system. Having recently beenbought over by Anduril Industries, it’s thought that the AUV could now have the backing required to address the marine monitoring needs of a wider array of clientele.
Norwegian robotics specialistKongsberg Ferrotech, meanwhile, has unveiled plans not just to manufacture vehicles for subsea missions, but to3D print on the ocean floor本身。目前正在开发的水下制造技术中，将使用维修海床水平管道，并在需要时重建它们。
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特色图显示了EcoSub机器人的AUV行动。通过EcoSub机器人技术照片。
