Supporteda ‘Top Dog’ in Robotics Manufacturing

Boston Dynamics is renowned for developing quadruped robots, such as Spot®. Their robotic dogs are designed to quickly deploy and traverse challenging environments, including those used for safety and security.

AlthoughBoston Dynamics continues to evolve its robotics offerings and reinforce its position as the go-to provider of next-generation mobile robots, they were looking for a partner to provide a crucial component: a magnesium diecast electronics plate.

Challenge: Precise, Defect-Free, Magnesium Die Castings

Boston Dynamics needed a manufacturing partner capable of producing a high-quality magnesium diecast electronics plat. The plate needed to be machined for precise tolerances and complex geometries since it houses and protects sensitiveelectroniccomponents that are essential to the operation of their agile robotic dogs.
While most diecast components or die casted parts are made from aluminum, Boston Dynamics’ specifications dictated that the parts be manufactured frommagnesium. Magnesium is one-third less dense than aluminum, making it ideal when weight and durability matter, however, the material poses its own unique challenges.
Here are just a few the MES team faced:

• Problematicdiecastmaterial:Magnesium is a notoriously difficult-to-work-with, easily ignitable material.
• Defect-free components:The material is renowned for being thin, as well as prone to defects, such as porosity and cracking.
• Tight tolerances:The electronics plate design included exacting specifications and precise tolerances to ensure structural integrity and proper electronics fit.
• Precision manufacturing:The component needed to be manufactured to withstand dynamic movements, harsh environments, and potential impacts.
• High-quality machining:Precision machining was required to ensure adequate electronics clearance and thermal management.

“It’s really remarkable what Boston Dynamics does,” says Bud Abraham, Senior Project Engineer with MES. “We worked with them on an electronics plate for their safety and response robot dogs, which are sometimes used for bomb or chemical detection. The electronics plate gets mounted into the belly or base of the robot. In addition to diecasting the plate, we machined it with recessed pockets, so the electronics have a place to sit. There are some fins or heat sinks that are important for dissipating the heat that’s generated by electronic systems. And because we do boots-on-the-ground inspections, we needed to inspect the plate in constrained states, using gauge pins to check the diameter before sending it off for coating. It was all very precise and required a lot of coordination between the customer, MES, and the third-party coating supplier.”

Application: Electronics Plate for Dynamic Sensing Robotic Dog
At the heart of Boston Dynamic’s robotic dog’s capabilities is the electronics plate, which is used for mounting, organizing, and protecting the advanced electronic systems.
Here are 5 applications of a magnesium die castelectronics plate:

• Structural support:The electronics plate provides a stable platform for organizing and securing electronic components, ensuring they remain in place during motion or impact.
• Centralized protection: By centralizing electronics in one location, the plate helps keep sensitive components safe from mechanical or environmental stressors.
• Component integration and connectivity:The plate secures essential hardware and software, including processors, communication modules, and power systems.
• Thermal management:The plate assists in heat dissipation for electronics that often generate significant operational heat.
• Payloads: It enables seamless integration of a variety of custom payloads, such as sensors and thermal cameras, further extending the robot’s capabilities.

Why Boston Dynamics Chose MES

“Our manufacturing team met or exceeded customer expectations in solving the complex challenges of working with magnesium,” says Abraham. “Our global supplier network combined with engineering expertise in diecasting and precision machining enabled us to deliver a component that met the most stringent requirements. One of the most important aspects is the flatness of the part that the electronics go into. It’s the substrate used for thermal conduction, so we achieved as much contact as possible to dissipate the heat. Only the highest quality part would do.”

Here’s a high-level overview of the comprehensive manufacturing approach the MES team took for this diecasting and machining project:

• Material selection: We selected a specialized AZ91D-F magnesium alloy with enhanced strength and crack resistance properties.
• High-pressure diecasting: We combined high-pressure diecasting with carefully controlled temperature gradients to prevent defects, which are common when working with magnesium.
• Precision CNC machining: Following casting, we employed 5-axis CNC machining to achieve the required dimensional accuracy and surface finish, readying it for coating.
• Machining and inspection fixtures: Both fixtures were designed with a similar concept to keep the datum consistent.
• Quality control: Our quality inspection methodology included coming up with a preliminary design for inspection, constrained state inspection, and using pneumatic measuring instruments and specialized fixture gauges.

Conclusion

Through agile, flexible, global sourcing and innovative manufacturing, MES successfully overcame the inherent challenges of magnesium diecasting to deliver a mission-critical component for Boston Dynamics’ advanced robotics platform.
If you, too, want to push the boundaries of your robotics, automotive, lighting, or other capabilities, please contact us.
Our world-class solutions include:

• Global sourcing network, including nearshoring options
• Dedicated project engineers
• Boots-on-the-ground quality management
• Custom services
• Relationship-driven approach

Specifications

Magnesium Die Cast, CNC Machined, Electronics Plate

• Material:AZ91D-F magnesium Anodized version 0
• Process:Magnesium casting
• Casting time:45 seconds per piece
• Machining time:15 minutes per piece
• Dimensions:XX in (XX.X mm)
• Thermal Rating:???
• Compliance:IATF-TS16949 rated