International Submarine Engineering (ISE) needed parts that fit the curved hull of its Explorer autonomous underwater vehicles. Machining and hand fabrication made these small batches expensive and slow to replace. Working with Forge Labs, ISE used 3D printing to make brackets and fins directly from its designs, cutting costs and shortening the wait for finished parts.
Based in Port Coquitlam, British Columbia, ISE has built underwater vehicles since 1974. Its Explorer AUV carries instruments for underwater surveys and research. For the parts in this case study, the challenge was practical: follow the shape of the vehicle, keep assembly straightforward, and make replacements without starting the fabrication work again.
The Parts at a Glance
- Customer: International Submarine Engineering (ISE)
- Vehicle: Explorer autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV)
- Parts: LED panel brackets, obstacle-avoidance mounts and plane extensions
- Result: Lower part costs, shorter lead times and simpler replacement of custom components
Making Parts That Fit a Curved Hull
A mounting bracket for the Explorer has to follow the hull's curves. Making that shape by hand takes time, and small differences between parts make replacements harder to fit. Machining a one-off part can also require substantial setup work relative to the number of parts needed.
3D printing let ISE build the required shape directly, including features that help locate and install the part. The same design could then be used to make another part when needed.
Why ASA Was Used
ISE selected ASA for the printed bracket and fin applications described here. Its UV stability was useful for parts exposed to sunlight, and the fins could be sanded and painted to match the vehicle's fiberglass shell. Forge Labs produces ASA parts using Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM).
LED Panel Bracket"Making short run production parts can be very expensive when using complex CNC machining and fabrication - 3D printing has allowed us to produce complex parts and one-offs much more cheaply than traditional methods."
A Bracket That Doubles as a Drilling Template
The LED panel bracket needed to fit the submarine's curved body and position the panel correctly. With 3D printing, ISE could make the bracket follow that surface and use the finished part as its own drilling template. That made it easier to place the mounting holes without making a separate template.
The design also gave ISE more freedom to shape the outside of the bracket for water flow. These details could be included in the printed part without adding separate machining steps.
The printed part locates the holes for installation on the curved hull.
Replacing Hand-Fabricated Mounts
The mount for the obstacle-avoidance system was previously made by hand to match the hull. Each one was slightly different, which made replacing a damaged part in the field difficult. Printing from the same design made the mounts repeatable and removed the need to fabricate each replacement individually.
The reported cost fell from $1,500 to $396 per part, a reduction of 73.6%. The printed part had a lead time of two days.
Printed mounts replace individually fabricated components.
Printing Fins in One Piece
The Explorer's plane extensions were previously made from several molded fiberglass pieces. Those pieces had to be glued together and then machined. 3D printing replaced that sequence with a single ASA part.
The printed fin was lighter than the earlier version and could be sanded and painted to blend into the smooth fiberglass shell. The fin cost $216 to print, compared with $1,000 for the fiberglass version, with a quoted printing lead time of three days.
ASA fins were sanded and painted to match the fiberglass shell.
What Changed for ISE
Each part solved a different manufacturing problem. The LED bracket helped with installation, the obstacle-avoidance mount was easier to reproduce, and the fin no longer needed a multi-piece fiberglass assembly. The savings came from changing how those particular parts were made.
| Part | Previous Cost | 3D Printed Cost | Cost Reduction | Printed Lead Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Obstacle-avoidance mount | $1,500 | $396 | 73.6% | 2 days |
| Plane extension | $1,000 | $216 | 78.4% | 3 days |
These figures describe the parts in the 2019 case study; they are not current prices or turnaround guarantees for other designs.
A custom bracket made to fit the vehicle.
Could a Similar Part Be 3D Printed?
Brackets, mounts and custom housings are worth considering when their shape makes machining or hand fabrication expensive. The starting point is the part itself: how it fits, what loads it carries, where it will be used and how many are needed. Those details help determine whether FDM, another printing process or machining is the right choice.
Explore Forge Labs' end-use part manufacturing or 3D printing for robotics for related applications.
Have a Part You Want to Make?
Talk to Forge Labs about the design, material and quantity you need. We can help you compare suitable manufacturing options.
Discuss Your Part With Us