The Future of Ocean Electroacoustics

Underwater. The vastness of our oceans and our understanding of their fathoms are vastly unfathomable! To date, only 20% of our oceans have been thoroughly explored. There are many things that contribute to this lack of exploration, but technological capability is not one of them.

Massa Products Corporation (Massa) is a 3rd generation family business located in Hingham, MA which, after 76 years in business, continues to pioneer this effort and challenge what’s possible with our sophisticated and enduring products and technology.

Massa is a certified, woman-run small business, and an ideal partner for industry, oceanographers, and the military thanks to our rapid design process and reliable products. Presently, Massa manufacturers transducers that outfit over 60% of the sonar systems utilized on US nuclear submarines. Massa is sought after for our technological expertise and ability to expeditiously transition from concept to new product development and for improvements to existing designs.

APPLYING THE FUNDAMENTALS

Massa is the only existing company in the field of Electroacoustics, Sonar and Ultrasonics, that was started by a founder of the field and continues to nurture an in-depth training of its staff with respect to both the scientific and philosophical fundamentals of the field and of the technology. Why is this important? Because it is through having a profound understanding of all the “whys” and “hows” presented in an applied science such as Electroacoustics that one can truly harness the full potential of adapting it for practical use. The future innovation and the advancement of this type of technology is dependent on having sound fundamental understanding and, most definitely, a fervent sense of creativity and curiosity.

At Massa we have a common belief that just because something doesn’t exist, doesn’t mean it can’t exist. We know this because of our experience and success with the advancement of the field, and the advancement and longevity of our products. This philosophy originating with my grandfather, Frank Massa, founder of Massa and of Electroacoustics; and the teachings of my father Don Massa, CTO. Technological progression truly knows no bounds, and its potential resides in the hearts and passions of creative thinkers. This is especially the case with electroacoustics. We believe that the more people get familiar with using ultrasonics and sonar, the greater uses they will discover they have. Massa’s business model advances the field whether it is in creating new to the world technology or advancing the awareness of where sonar can be used. Massa does this for the military, for industry, and for the education sector.

TRANDUCERS IN ACTION

Ironically, sometimes technological advancement can occur even with using older products! Recently, Massa was contacted by a wonderful organization in Woods Hole, MA called Sea Education Association (SEA). They contacted Massa looking to refurbish some sub bottom profiling sonars. As Massa investigated the request, it became evident that the transducers they were using in their systems, were over 40 years old! In fact, they purchased them used in 1987 and had been using them reliably ever since. They had gone through 3 generations of sonar electronics, but the original Massa 8-transducer arrays would keep getting reused in each new system! The sub bottom profiling transducers used by SEA is also used by many in the oceanographic community; however, for a smaller organization such as SEA, they are a necessity that is not as easily replaced due to cost and other logistics. It’s also a capability that they describe as central to the operations of the ship that they use on numerous student voyages, and they’re a tool that allows students to better research and understand a range of topics from coral atoll formation and stability to tracking shifts in equatorial oceanic production from sediment deposition on the sea floor.

SEA’s mission and vision are closely anchored towards bringing educational experiences to students around the world with respect to better understanding oceans and marine life. This extends to also educating students in how to use technology in that research. Massa Transducers are integral to SEA’s purpose of educating students about the ocean. For programs such as in the SEA’s Pacific voyages, students are looking at seamount and island-induced upwelling where there are steep slopes, SEA depends on the reliability and accuracy in performance that Massa Transducers provide.

Other programs that utilize the Massa transducers are collaborations between SEA and WHOI such as their research program regarding cyclone frequencies in the tropical Pacific, and other collaborative programs where SEA has sent ships to be used as scout sites for sediment cores in both the Atlantic and Pacific. In SEA’s words: “Well over half of SEA’s 9000+ alumni have in one way, or another benefited from the use of Massa’s transducers, many of whom have gone on to careers in marine sciences. SEA and Massa have been working together to train the future workforce in ocean sciences.”

GOING WHERE OTHER TRANDUCERS HAVE NOT

As Massa approaches its 8th decade, our focus, programs, and products encapsulate the past, transform the present, and define the future of electroacoustics, in terms of design, development, and application. By partnering with customers and scientists alike, Massa utilizes our expertise to create value added products that directly benefit the oceans be it on earth or elsewhere. Existing programs and products are focused on enhancing the design of sonar transducers and systems to outlast and outperform in the oceans be it for military, commercial, or scientific use.

Present products are used at extreme depths, in intense pressures, and in fluctuating temperatures. They are used in applications that study and protect marine life, and marine conditions, habitat, and environment. There are several new products that are under development for new spaces. If you want to know what’s out there, Massa hears you. The future of MassaSonic® technology is in our ability to go where no other electroacoustic products have gone before.

For more information, visit: www.massa.com/industrial/oceanographic and www.sea.edu/about_sea/history.

This story was originally featured in ON&T Magazine's Special December 2021 issue. Click here to read more.