Printed pressure housings for underwater applications

In order to investigate the capability of additive manufacturing technologies to build pressure housings, hemispheres made of titanium and ceramic with a nominal outer diameter of 70 mm were built on 3D printer systems, evaluated, and tested in a pressure tank. Titanium hemispheres expected to withstand an external pressure of 10 MPa started buckling at 6 MPa. A stiffened titanium hemisphere which was expected to withstand 24 MPa collapsed at 30 MPa. A ceramic hemisphere could not be tested to collapse since the measurement technique was not rated to withstand an external pressure above 30 MPa.