Use Case: Swissloop Tunneling Upgrades Tunnel Boring Machine
After a strong performance at Elon Musk’s “Not-a-Boring Competition” in 2021, Swissloop Tunneling, the official student team of ETH Zurich composed of engineering students from various universities, has been busy upgrading its award-winning tunnel boring machine. The Swissloop Tunneling team is part of a broader association of student teams and is recognized for its achievements in the tunneling industry.
At the 2021 Las Vegas competition in the USA, the team won the prestigious Champion Award, and their journey has been inspired by Elon Musk’s vision for tunneling technology. With some critical parts made by MakerVerse, the team upgraded its powerful device for an upcoming competition in the United States, furthering their participation in USA innovation events and expanding their network within the tunneling industry.
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Geotechnical Engineering
Zurich, Switzerland
40+
End-use parts
CNC Machining, Laser Powder Bed Fusion (LPBF)
Steel
Connecting rings for a tunnel boring machine
Swissloop Tunneling accessed a range of technologies and expert insights to quickly source high-quality parts
Building a safe and efficient tunnel infrastructure requires cutting-edge tunnel boring machines to excavate through soil and rock. However, high costs and demanding logistics limit the technology. Improved tunneling would help make transportation alternatives like the hyperloop a reality.
Advancements in tunneling technologies and micro tunnel boring machines are revolutionizing underground construction and infrastructure systems, enabling more efficient and sustainable solutions for urban development. Micro tunnel boring plays a crucial role in modern tunnel construction, shaping the future of urban infrastructure by making large-scale underground projects more feasible and cost-effective.
To overcome those challenges, Elon Musk and his “The Boring Company” sponsor contests where hundreds of teams worldwide compete to build the best tunnel boring machine. Swissloop Tunneling is one of the teams pushing the boundaries of tunneling technology.
In 2021 in Las Vegas, the team of engineering students from ETH Zürich won the innovation and design award and finished second overall. With the next competition just around the corner in the US, Swissloop Tunneling hopes to win it all.
The team turned to MakerVerse to upgrade their machine with several high-quality steel connectors built to withstand extreme conditions.
MakerVerse really took the time to understand our project and help us. Working together was a great experience, as they were always so open and transparent about all the parts we ordered.
Camilla Chitvanni
Co-head of engineering at Swissloop Tunneling
The Challenges
Swissloop Tunneling’s machine, Groundhog Beta, measures eight meters long, weighs 3,000 kilograms, and has a diameter of 590 millimeters. Every component of Groundhog Beta must withstand burdensome workloads and high temperatures.
Since its last tournament, Swissloop Tunneling has been busy upgrading and optimizing their first machine, Groundhog Alpha. The erosion and liner system, significantly, has been redesigned for the new machine. Therefore, some parts had to be developed within the size of a prototype in the first phase to validate designs and test further improvements. During this process, the team focused on developing and testing various subsystems, including the pneumatic system for material transport and advanced software for autonomous operation. These subsystems were rigorously tested through multiple tests to ensure reliability and safe tunnel construction.
For example, the liner system prototype was built at a 1:5 scale before being scaled to the final size. Ultimately, the team integrated the newly designed parts into Groundhog Beta and completed its full-size version.
One of the most critical sections of Groundhog Beta is the innovative tunnel lining system. The team integrated a polymer extrusion system into the machine to create safe and stable tunnel walls. The liner system prints a 15 mm thick tunnel wall to ensure the tunnel’s structural integrity. This process uses a pneumatic system to transport polymer granulate into the tunnel, where it is melted via an extrusion screw. The external sedimentation system and suctioning mechanism handle eroded material and underground material, ensuring efficient removal and processing during excavation. There, the polymer gets melted via an extrusion screw. As a result, the polymers reach temperatures of up to 200 degrees Celsius and must be cooled via a 10 degrees Celsius cooling fluid. The system maintains constant circulation of water and soil, supporting sustainable and efficient tunneling operations. The liner system stands as an innovative solution currently under development and is continuously being improved.
These massive temperature ranges, plus the critical importance of the entire tunnel lining system, meant Swissloop Tunneling needed extremely high-quality parts from a trusted partner. The parts must be affordable and delivered in time to meet tight deadlines. Ongoing research and developing new technologies are central to optimizing the machine’s performance and minimizing surface impact.
The machine’s movement is enabled by a push mechanism, where gripper plates push against the tunnel wall to allow the machine moving forward from the starting platform during launch.
A series of machined connecting rings join different components within the tunnel lining system.
The Solutions
Key technological advancements include the development of a crucial liner system prototype, integration of large-diameter CNC-machined steel connecting rings, and the use of advanced Laser Powder Bed Fusion connectors, all contributing to Swissloop Tunneling’s innovative solutions in micro tunneling technology.
MakerVerse, with its wide range of technologies, provided the crucial liner system prototype with several high-quality components at the needed prices.
Swissloop Tunneling sourced several steel connecting rings with more than 500 mm diameters using CNC machining. These connectors join different components within the tunnel lining system, such as the liquid cooling chamber. Another connector, this time made with Laser Powder Bed Fusion, sits at the head of the extruder and connects four different tubes.
Swissloop Tunneling dealt with tight deadlines as they readied Groundhog Beta for the competition. With MakerVerse, they gained an open and transparent partner who kept them precisely up to date on the progress of their parts.
Notably, the quality of the parts was perfect for upgrading Groundhog Beta. MakerVerse’s supply chain consists of only hand-picked, fully-vetted suppliers who have undergone a rigorous onboarding process. These quality control measures ensure the quality of every part ordered on the MakerVerse platform.
The Result
Swissloop Tunneling is putting the final touches on Groundhog Beta before bringing it to the United States for The Boring Company’s Not-A-Boring Competition. Leading up to this point, the team conducted many design iterations and performed constant testing while considering their budget.
Through these challenges, the team received high-quality parts and open communications from MakerVerse. “We’re looking forward to working together again,” said Camilla Chitvanni, Co-Head of Mechanical and Civil Engineering at Swissloop Tunneling. “All of us on the team appreciated the care and communication during the entire process.” The team is thrilled about the upcoming competition and is united by a common goal to advance tunneling technology.
MakerVerse is committed to promoting student-driven innovation. In this case, instead of dealing with countless suppliers and worrying about deadlines, MakerVerse helped Swissloop Tunneling focus on what it does best: Building incredible tunnel boring machines.
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