BlueZone Group

BlueZone Group, an Australian-based company, is a world-leading supplier and integrator of subsea equipment. They provide equipment and services to a wide range of companies that work underwater — solving challenges from deep sea science applications to water infrastructure in busy cities. In order to quickly provide solutions for its customers, BlueZone Group needed a way to rapidly and inexpensively iterate designs that could be used in harsh environments. They chose the Markforged platform for its strong parts, made of continuous carbon fiber, that could withstand testing and also be used as production parts. Using Markforged 3D printers accelerated the part design process and also helped solve low-volume part production challenges.

This mounting assembly is part of a kit that attaches a sound velocity profiler — part of an echo sounder — to boats and ships of various sizes. It's just one of the applications that BlueZone engineers have employed Onyx for in three years of using Markforged solutions. The mounting assembly must be lightweight and very durable. If it fails while the echo sounder is deployed, expensive equipment is at risk. Onyx with continuous carbon fiber easily supports many pounds of equipment, and is capable of doing so in harsh subsea conditions. When deployed, it has to survive low temperatures, drag, sea currents, and long-term exposure to corrosive saltwater.