[PSUBS-MAILIST] Triton 6600

[Alan via Personal_Submersibles]

A bit more information on the latest Triton acrylic sphere, I have heard 3
different thicknesses for the hull, article below...
"The greatest leap forward in the submersible world has been in the acrylic spheres where passengers sit inside. At $500,000, it's also the most expensive component of a submersible. The Triton 7500/3 has the thickest transparent acrylic pressure hull ever produced (12 inches thick), which is capable of withstanding the crushing weight of water at 7,500 feet."Traditionally, acrylic spheres in submersibles have been made by slush casting the material then bonding it. Triton together with two innovative German companies pioneered a new and much better acrylic manufacturing methodology (thermoforming), which results in material that is far stronger, clearer and superior to anything previously made.

"Evonik Industries in Darmstadt manufactures the acrylic block and thermoform discs made of acrylic into hemispheres," Lahey explains, "and a second company Heinz Fritz in Herbrechtingen performs the machining, polishing and bonding necessary to create the finished product.

I presume this is just a massive version of the pressing process that Emile uses for his domes.

Alan



> On 16/09/2018, at 10:43 PM, Alan via Personal_Submersibles <personal_submersibles at psubs.org> wrote:
> 
> Was looking at this article on the Triton 6600 that has an 8" acrylic sphere.
> It looks like they are press forming the acrylic. Does anyone know anything about their process.?
> https://www.architecturaldigest.com/story/triton-unveils-66002-worlds-deepest-diving-personal-submarine
> To reach these new depths, Triton constructed an advanced acrylic hull for its passengers to sit inside while maneuvering below the water. Traditionally, acrylic spheres in submersibles are made by casting two separate halves together. Instead, the hull of the Triton 6600/2 is built from single slabs of acrylic that are heated to a pliable forming temperature, then molded into the frame. “The acrylic has always been the problem in the past. There was no one who could make the material thick enough, with the quality you needed, to have a sub go to such depths as with the new 6600/2,” says principal designer John Ramsay. “The innovative construction is the big piece, and the properties of this acrylic are absolutely fantastic—they’re substantially better than what would typically be required for an acrylic pressure vessel.” At eight inches thick, the Triton 6600/2 features the “thickest acrylic sphere in a submersible to date,” according to Michael Haley, Triton’s U.S. director of sales and marketing.
> 
> Alan
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