Development of models for forecasting and classification of a printing quality of a low cost 3D printer

At the present, the actual task is using 3D Printers for the manufacture of certain objects with a given level of price / quality ratio.

In many cases, it is economically feasible to use a low cost 3D Printer. Therefore, it is necessary to have models that predict and classify the printing quality of such printers.

The work has involved the development and assembly of a low cost 3D Printer. For this purpose, the creation of geometric models of the component parts and the printer itself was carried out, and engineering calculations and optimization of the received designs were performed.

It has been developed a printer control system. An experiment was conducted to produce cubes with different printing parameters on such printer. Based on regression analysis, linear and logistic regressions were constructed. Linear regression will allow to assess the quality level of the result depending on the printing parameters, and the logistic regression will allow to classify and predict the probability of manufacturing objects with a given quality level.

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The methodology of documenting cultural heritage sites using photogrammetry, UAV, and 3D printing techniques: the case study of Asinou Church in Cyprus

As the affordability, reliability and ease-of-use of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) advances, the use of aerial surveying for cultural heritage purposes becomes a popular choice, yielding an unprecedented volume of high-resolution, geo-tagged image-sets of historical sites from above.

As well, recent developments in photogrammetry technology provide a simple and cost-effective method of generating relatively accurate 3D models from 2D images. These techniques provide a set of new tools for archaeologists and cultural heritage experts to capture, store, process, share, visualise and annotate 3D models in the field.

This paper focuses on the methodology used to document the cultural heritage site of Asinou Church in Cyprus using various state of the art techniques, such as UAV, photogrammetry and 3D printing. Hundreds of images of the Asinou Church were taken by a UAV with an attached high resolution, low cost camera. These photographic images were then used to create a digital 3D model and a 3D printer was used to create a physical model of the church.

Such a methodology provides archaeologists and cultural heritage experts a simple and cost-effective method of generating relatively accurate 3D models from 2D images of cultural heritage sites.

(Read more...)

HMS Mersey Tests A 3D-Printed UAV at Sea

Kevin Franks, deputy maritime account manager at the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory, said the MoD has a number of “lines of interest” in 3D Printing. He said: “The ability to use additive manufacture to make a task-specific tool, component, device or even a vehicle out in the field or in a space-constrained moving ship, could have significant impact on the armed forces’ shape and capability.”

So now we know why the Royal Navy ship HMS Mersey has launched something unusual from her gun deck off England’s southern coast: a cheap UAV made using a 3D Printer. The 1.5m wingspan, propeller-driven UAV, known as 'Sulsa', was printed on shore and then assembled on the ship. The test was meant to demonstrate how more-or-less disposable UAVs that could, in a pinch, be printed on board might cut costs and let a crew adapt quickly to a new mission, for example, after a natural disaster.

The Institution of Mechanical Engineers explained that "Within five years, ships could be equipped with multi-material 3D printers able to produce entire unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), tailored to specific missions." ¿Really? Yes: The Sulsa can be printed and fly for only 40 minutes. ¿Not much? Yes, but that could be enough for missions such as responding to reports of piracy, where being able to easily check out a vessel from a distance of 10 miles or so is valuable. If they shoot at it, who cares? You send another one up.

¿Can 3D Printing get married with traditional technologies?

More and more, Additive Manufacturing is now seen as a complementary technology, as witnessed by the increased in hybrid printers that combine 3D Printing and CNC machining.

Now, Stratasys, one of the leading players in the 3D printing industry, is sharing some of that expertise via a new whitepaper titled "How Additive and Traditional Manufacturing Mix".

The whitepaper is free to download from 3dprint.com after you fill out a brief form, by clicking here: https://3dprint.com/stratasys-how-additive-and-traditional-manufacturing-mix/.

Introduction to Additive Manufacturing for Composites

Additively manufactured composites offer advantages that include greater design flexibility, decreased costs and production efficiency. In this e-book, you’ll learn more about:

• Reinforced thermoplastics for high-performance applications
• Multi-axis motion platforms for design optimization
• Lightweight, agile mold tooling capabilities
• Sacrificial tooling for easier production of hollow composites
• Autoclave cure- and high-temperature-capable materials

Download this FREE e-book to learn how additive manufacturing enables a new era of lightweight structures with degrees of geometric complexity, part consolidation, and design optimization not previously possible.

Low-cost approaches to UAV design using Additive Manufacturing

Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) platforms are of major interest to Defense, Government, and commercial industries. The ability to remotely control an aerial vehicle capable of surveillance, offensive and defensive maneuvering, reconnaissance, or numerous other applications without the need to put a human life in jeopardy is a major attraction to their use. Furthermore, there exists opportunities to make these airborne vehicles largely autonomous, further reducing the need for even remote human operators. However, for all of the significant advantages of UAVs, there is a significant negative: the cost of manufacture, and the cost of design. Due in part to the substantial amount of complex electronic equipment on board, UAVs become not only a design of aeronautics, but an experiment in energy conservation through optimization. A limited range of UAV power becomes a limiting factor of UAV application. The challenge becomes to optimize the size, weight, and aerodynamics of the UAV based on the application. 

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UAV designs ready to be 3D printed

A very good collection which includes custom UAV models ready for real life usage thanks to 3D printing technology. 

https://www.supermotoxl.com/designs-a-creations/3d-printed-real-object-design-for-hobby-models

¿Looking for a 3D-Printable Racing Drone?

Yeggi is a search engine for printable 3D Models. They collect data from all 3D Communities and marketplaces offering 3D models to print, and give you the best results to find 3D models on the internet. ¿Are you looking for a 3D-Printable racing drone? here you have +2.700 printable 3D Models: Just click on the icons, download the file(s) and print them on your 3D printer

http://www.yeggi.com/q/racing+drone/?s=tt

Airbus sees big growth in UAV market

Airbus Defence and Space believes the Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) market is poised for massive growth, and it is seeking to become involved in this sector, through technology like its Zephyr pseudo-satellite. (Read more)

Airbus presenta a THOR, su UAV impreso en 3D

THOR (Testing High-tech Objectives in Reality) es el UAV fabricado por Airbus a través de la impresión 3D.

UAV esférico impreso en 3D

Un grupo de aficionados a los UAVs y a la Impresión 3D han combinado sus conocimientos para diseñar y construir un UAV mediante Impresión 3D.

El UAV en cuestión presenta forma esférica, pues está basado en películas de ciencia ficción, del tipo Star Wars y similares.

Muchos de los componentes de este UAV esférico fueron impresos en ABS, y entre ellos se incluyen el conducto de admisión de aire, el separador de flujo de aire y los conductos de salida. 

Los ficheros STL se encuentran disponibles de manera gratuita a través de la página Instructables, así como tambien una lista de materiales adicionales e instrucciones de montaje.

Investigadores de la UTEP imprimen en 3D un UAV con insertos electrónicos

El encanto de los UAVs resulta cada vez más fuerte, y por ello no resulta extraño que se hayan podido completar ya un gran número de proyectos basandose en el uso de Sistemas de Impresión 3D. El ultimo de ellos lo ha protagonizado la Universidad de Texas El Paso (UTEP) que mediante un sistema Stratasys Fortus 400mc ha logrado construir un UAV cuya electrónica va inserta en su interior. De esta manera se consigue reducir y equilibrar el peso del UAV, sin sacrificar por ello el diseño final. En este vídeo se explica brevemente cómo lo hacen:

Quadcóptero impreso en 3D

En este post vamos a ver la fabricación y vuelo de un pequeño quadcóptero. La noticia carecería de interés, de no ser porque el UAV está fabricado en menos de 3 horas con un lápiz 3DAirPen. A primera vista parece una chapuza, pero el vídeo despeja posibles dudas:

David del Fresno Consultores

Asesoría en Impresión 3D y Manufactura  Aditiva

http://daviddft.wix.com/david-del-fresno

Otro UAV mediante Impresión 3D, que sólo necesita dos motores

Trabajando desde el Modlab (acrónimo del Modular Robotics Laboratory) de la Universidad de Pennsylvania, el estudiante de ingeniería James Paulos ha conseguido simplificar el diseño de un UAV standard, sin reducir su funcionalidad. El hecho carecería de importancia de no ser porque el UAV en cuestión sólo necesita dos motores en total, y porque algunas de sus piezas pueden ser fabricadas mediante Impresión 3D.

Normalmente los UAVs requieren cuatro o más motores, mas incontables servos, acoplamientos, juntas de bolas, etc. Paulos ha optado sin embargo por un rediseño mucho más simple: “Los formatos de UAVs convencionales requieren complejos rediseños de todo el conjunto cuando tratamos de crear pequeños aparatos. Nosotros hemos optado por un diseño original basado en un nuevo rotor. Variando simplemente su angulo controlamos todo: velocidad, altitud, y aún orientación."

David del Fresno Consultores

Asesoría en Impresión 3D y Manufactura Aditiva 

http://daviddft.wix.com/david-del-fresno

AMRC's 3D Printed UAV

Let us see in this post a 3D printed UAV designed, manufactured and flight tested by a team of engineers from Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (AMRC).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v4lrtOc736M

The UAV airframe was constructed entirely of ABS plastic, using a Stratasys Fortus 900mc 3D Production System. The complete aircraft has a wingspan of 1.5 m, weights under 2 kg, and can be easily split into half for easier transportation.

UAV Manufacturing with Stratasys

For components that “could not be done with standard milling procedures”, some UAV OEMs have turned to Stratasys 3D Production Systems. Watch this video to know more:

Agriculture: PAAS Show

The first ever Precision Aerial Agriculture Show (PAAS) is happening July 9th, and 10th. It's a show all about unmanned aerial vehicles otherwise known as a UAV or a drone.

These UAV's are the reason why hundreds of people from around the globe are participating in the PAAS, which show manager, Stu Ellis, hopes will become a yearly event. UAV technology is designed to enhance the farmers efficiency and productivity, which is why the show will have on-site experts to discuss the technology, the laws, and the risks. 

3D printed UAVs may fly by 2040

BAE Systems have claimed that with the help of futuristic technology like 3D printers they could create small UAVs by 2040.

It was suggested by the defence firm's scientists and engineers that these unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) could potentially be used as a group of wide-winged aircraft for protracted or enduring surveillance or as rotary-winged UAVs to rescue single civilians or soldiers from dangerous situations, the Guardian reported.

Nick Colosimo, a futurist and engineering manager at its research and development team in Warton, Lancashire, said that BAE Systems have a rich heritage in research and development and work done by thousands of scientists and engineers. The defence firm has unveiled the '3D printed UAV' as one of the many futuristic technologies like the 'Survivor', an aircraft that could heal itself or 'Transformer', a long-range aircraft which divides into a number of smaller one, they believe could be incorporated in military and civil aircraft in 2040 or even earlier.

Greece: ¿EU subsidies for Police UAV?

It is suspected that European Union subsidies may be used by the greek Public Order Ministry for the purchase of the some UAVs though it remains unclear what sum has been earmarked for the investment, how many drones the ministry is seeking to acquire, and what type. The purpose of the Public Order Ministry regarding the acquisition of the UAVs is to bolster the efforts of the Greek Police (ELAS) to monitor the country’s borders and curb illegal immigration as well as cracking down on organized crime and domestic terrorism.

(Read more)

Skunk: The RiotControl UAV

Desert Wolf has developed a riot-control UAV named Skunk, capable to fire dye-balls, pepper spray and rubber bullets at protesters, blinds them with strobes, broadcasts control messages to them, and records them.

In addition to two high definition day cameras, the Skunk carries a FLIR thermal camera for night vision capability.