How We Built a 0.75m Unmanned Survey Boat Prototype with SLA 3D Printing — Jingrui Proto

Jingrui Proto manufactured a mini unmanned survey boat prototype for a technology company developing aerial and water-surface robotic systems. The final prototype was approximately 0.75 m and was produced with SLA 3D printing, high-toughness yellow photosensitive resin, manual fitting, seamless bonding where required, sanding and surface finishing.

SLA unmanned survey boat prototype during assembly and finishing.

Project Overview

Industry

Robotics / Unmanned Systems

Application

Mini Unmanned Survey Boat

Product Category

Unmanned Surface Vessel (USV) Prototype

Prototype Size

Approximately 0.75 m

Manufacturing Process

SLA 3D Printing

Material

High-Toughness Yellow Photosensitive Resin

Equipment

Jingrui Proto large-format SLA equipment

Assembly

Manual fitting and seamless bonding

Post-Processing

Manual sanding and surface finishing

Total Turnaround

3 days

Customer Relationship

First project with Jingrui Proto

Result

Customer satisfied with completed prototype

The Customer Requirement: A Prototype for an Unmanned Survey Boat

Jingrui Proto was approached by a technology company developing aerial and water-surface robotic systems. The customer required a physical prototype for a compact unmanned survey boat with an overall size of approximately 0.75 m.

The project was part of the customer’s product development process for an unmanned water-surface platform. Rather than investing in conventional tooling at the prototype stage, the customer needed a rapid manufacturing solution capable of reproducing the vessel’s curved surfaces and structural geometry while supporting subsequent assembly and manual finishing.

SLA 3D printing was selected as the primary manufacturing process. The project required more than simply printing individual resin parts; the manufacturing team also needed to consider part segmentation, fitting, bonding, surface continuity and final finishing so that the completed prototype could accurately represent the intended product design.

Manufacturing-Process Decision

SLA 3D printing was a practical route because the prototype needed curved boat geometry, visual continuity and a short manufacturing window. The high-toughness yellow photosensitive resin supported large printed components that could be manually fitted and finished after printing.

Manufacturing Workflow

Engineering and Manufacturing Challenge

The main manufacturing challenge was coordinating large-format SLA printing with manual assembly. Curved surfaces and segmented geometry had to be planned so that the printed components could be fitted, bonded and finished without turning the prototype into a tooling project.

Large-format SLA resin component manufactured for the unmanned survey boat prototype.

Why SLA 3D Printing Works Well for Robotics Prototype Development

Robotics development often involves rapid iteration before production tooling is justified. For products such as unmanned surface vessels, SLA can be useful during prototype development when engineers need to evaluate overall form and proportions, enclosure and hull geometry, component fit, assembly strategy, design accessibility, appearance and physical integration.

This case should not be read as a claim that the SLA resin prototype was an operational vessel. Jingrui Proto is documenting the prototype manufacturing workflow only; waterproofness, seaworthiness, autonomous navigation capability, structural performance and production-use suitability are not claimed here.

Verified Timeline and Result

SLA printing took two days. Manual sanding and finishing took one day. Total manufacturing turnaround was three days. This was the customer’s first project with Jingrui Proto, and the customer was satisfied with the completed prototype.

Procurement and Engineering Takeaway

For robotics prototype buyers, this project shows why it is useful to quote more than printing time. The manufacturing plan also has to consider segmentation, bonding, manual finishing and how the prototype will be evaluated by the product-development team.

Relevant Service Links

Related Jingrui Proto capabilities: 3D Printing Service, One-Stop Prototyping Services and SLA 3D Printing.

Originally published at https://jrproto.com.