According to the 3D printing company CPSdrone, it has tested various processes to create waterproof underwater housings for drones. Despite being densely layered, standard FDM printed parts have micropores that lead to water ingress under high pressure.
Tests have shown that water not only penetrates through small cracks, but also seeps through the layers of plastic. Although the water resistance could be significantly improved with epoxy resin impregnation, problems still occurred, especially with increasing pressure.
The team found a breakthrough solution with the water-based impregnating agent Dichtol. This is a chemical that fills the continuous porosity of the printed part and leaves behind a waterproof resin film after drying.
Optimum results were only achieved after the Dichtol treatment, which no longer gave rise to any concerns even at very high pressure thanks to minimal absorption.
Finally, the CPSdrone team also tested injection-molded plastic components made of high-performance polyamide. These were equally impressive with their homogeneous properties, although a slight material disadvantage compared to 3D printing remained.
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