Future advances in regulator design?

[halocline]

How about a regulator that the manufacturer supports 1000 dives or 5 years (pick your own numbers) before needing service?

We used to regularly swap spark plugs, coolant and transmission fluids on our cars. Not so much anymore...

I have MK5s that go 5 years between service routinely, but 1000 dives is a lot! The manufacturer will never support that idea because they want customers to return to the dive shop periodically and buy stuff....

 

[Bryan@Vintage Double Hose]

Appropriate PVD/CVD coatings for metallic components are sufficient for 20+ year life, and relatively inexpensive. Ceramics aren't necessary, as their benefits of high heat and high speed wear resistance aren't applicable to diving and are 5-10X more expensive.

My experience though limited with PVD and ceramic coatings has been the price for 500/1000 pieces are competitive. No idea how larger or smaller quantities would compare though.

 

[EricTheDood]

My experience though limited with PVD and ceramic coatings has been the price for 500/1000 pieces are competitive. No idea how larger or smaller quantities would compare though.

I was comparing a solid ceramic part to machined metal + coating.

When I think of ceramic coatings I think of stuff for firearms and engine exhaust headers. Not appropriate for precision parts.

 

[Bryan@Vintage Double Hose]

I was comparing a solid ceramic part to machined metal + coating.

When I think of ceramic coatings I think of stuff for firearms and engine exhaust headers. Not appropriate for precision parts.

Not sure if you consider them "precision" or not but I have had some promising results with ceramic coatings on regulator parts. I have never tried to make anything completely from ceramic so I can't speak to that.

 

[tbone1004]

@giffenk Poseidon, HOG, Deep 6, and several others have a lifetime warranty not predicated on the factory authorized service interval BS. Poseidon's is a bit weird because it's warrantied for 2 years after authorized service so the regs can go into and out of warranty which is a bit strange, but not in a bad way.

Most technical/cave divers service regulators when they ask for it. That is something is leaking, the first stage exhibits IP creep, or the second stage starts breathing funny. Most do not rebuild on some arbitrary interval because there is no need to fix that which is not broken...

 

[BoltSnap]

Poseidon, HOG, Deep 6, and several others have a lifetime warranty not predicated on the factory authorized service interval BS.

I think that you are confusing "warranty" with "service kits." Atomic, for example, warrants their regulators for life on any manufacturer defects but doesn't offer free service kits. Other manufacturer offer lifetime warranty on mfg. defects but free service kits only if you maintain your regulator at an authorized service center at their specified service interval.

 

[tbone1004]

I think that you are confusing "warranty" with "service kits." Atomic, for example, warrants their regulators for life on any manufacturer defects but doesn't offer free service kits. Other manufacturer offer lifetime warranty on mfg. defects but free service kits only if you maintain your regulator at an authorized service center at their specified service interval.

no confusion

Aqualungs warranty for regulators, verbatim
Limited Lifetime Warranty
This warranty will cover the original owner of the regulator against defects in parts or workmanship for the lifetime of the regulator if the regulator is:

1. Purchased from an Authorized Aqua Lung America Dealer
2. Inspected or serviced annually by an Authorized Aqua Lung America Dealer as outlined in the "Free Parts for Life" Program.

i.e. if you don't take it in annually, it is no longer under warranty

Scubapros website is acting up and is unclear on their warranty

 

[Blasto]

Competitors have to make things differently for the sake of being different, as there would be no point in paying more for the same thing.

That is my point.

We'll always need multiple dry/wet suit, wing, fin, and arguably harness designs for the sake of being different: these items are an extension of the human body, so there can't be one perfect design, as their performance is inherently subjective, dependent on the user.

Tanks and regulators, especially first stages, are not like that. They have one job to do, deliver air at a specific pressure when required. Their performance can be measured objectively, on a scale of 0 to 1, as the probability that they will do their job throughout the range of all possible circumstances. The end goal is to have nothing left to meaningfully improve on.

This divergent-convergent lifecycle is common in components: first designs diverge to find a better way to do the job, then they converge towards the optimal way to do it, and in the end there's no reason not to settle on a single design, with only interface variations where applicable. Sometimes it gets outsourced to a single company, other times not.

 

[BoltSnap]

Inspected or serviced annually by an Authorized Aqua Lung America Dealer as outlined in the "Free Parts for Life" Program.

"Inspected or serviced"

 

[tbone1004]

"Inspected or serviced"

yeah, and that's inspected on one year, then serviced on the next. so if I can't get it in for a year because I'm deployed in the military to have my regulator inspected, then I lose my warranty. That is seriously uncool.