MEAN WELL is proud to announce the sponsorship of the UATXcavators, an innovative student-led engineering team from the University of Austin (UATX). MEAN WELL has provided high-efficiency power solutions to support the team as they design and manufacture a custom tunnel boring machine (TBM) for the Not-a-Boring Competition, hosted by The Boring Company in Bastrop, Texas.

The global competition challenges university and independent engineering teams to drive tunneling innovation by building a machine capable of excavating a vertical tunnel at least 0.5 meters in diameter and over 1 meter deep. Out of hundreds of global applicants, only a select group of finalists are chosen to advance to the ultimate stages of the competition.





From First Principles to Functional Prototypes

The UATXcavators began as an ambitious group of 10 students operating without a formal laboratory, funding, or prior tunneling experience. By applying first-principles thinking and executing relentless community outreach, the group has rapidly scaled into a 26-member strong "STEM Headliner Club". To date, the students have successfully secured critical mechanical and electrical parts through corporate partnerships, refined their 3D CAD modeling alongside industry-leading tunneling consultants, and achieved significant engagement milestones on their social channels (@uatxcavators).

Moving rapidly from theory to execution, the team recently developed and field-tested a functional sub-scale prototype to validate essential tunneling dynamics. The test machine successfully bored a 9-inch diameter tunnel to a confirmed depth of 5 inches. This operational milestone allowed the team to successfully field-test a custom launch frame, linear actuation for machine thrust, a soapy-water ground conditioning setup, and a vacuum-assisted muck disposal system. According to the team's engineering updates, these physical experiments provided critical real-world insights into TBM mechanics that go far beyond software simulation, serving as the foundational blueprint for their full-scale competition machine.


      


MEAN WELL Product Application

To support the intricate electrical and motion control networks of the project, MEAN WELL provided the technical heartbeat of the machine's primary logic and motion sub-systems:

• Three industrial linear actuators and system cooling fans, powered by two units of RSP-750-24 enclosed power supplies (750W, 24V) to deliver stable power for primary machine thrust and thermal management.
• A diaphragm pump and a peristaltic pump for water distribution and soil conditioning, driven by a specialized MEAN WELL 12V power supply to power the fluid conditioning loop.

Apart from the high-voltage 460V cutterhead motor, the entirety of the TBM's controls, actuation, and sensory feedback loops are powered entirely by MEAN WELL solutions.





Supporting the Next Generation of Engineers

The UATXcavators team consists of members specializing in mechanical, electrical, software, and chemical engineering roles. Their progress marks a significant milestone in MEAN WELL's mission to provide students and engineering groups with the industrial-grade tools they need to turn ambitious concepts into reality.

As the UATXcavators phase into final full-scale assembly and sensor integration ahead of the competition finals in Bastrop, MEAN WELL wishes the team continued success and looks forward to seeing their machine in action.


More About MEAN WELL Sponsorship Program

MEAN WELL is committed to fostering innovation within educational institutions. By providing reliable power supply products to student engineering groups, we aim to support technical breakthroughs that solve real-world problems.
For more information on the MEAN WELL Educational Institution Sponsorship Program, please contact our Marketing Team at marketing@meanwellusa.com.