Additive Manufacturing to build UAVs for extreme weather conditions

Additive Manufacturing or 3D Printing materials originally developed for the motorsports industry by CRP Technology in Modena, Italy, and Mooresville, North Carolina, are being used to manufacture Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS), commonly called drones.

Engineers at CRP Technology and Hexadrone, crafted a modular UAS using Laser Sintering technology and Windform composite materials. CRP Technology, CRP Group’s specialized company in advanced 3D Printing and Additive Manufacturing solutions, developed the Windform family of high-performance composite materials.

Engineers implemented a rugged, waterproof design to construct Hexadrone’s first fully modular, easy-to-use UAS made for extreme weather conditions and industrial and multipurpose applications. Rapidly swappable arms and three quick release attachments make the Tundra-M extremely flexible to meet the needs of any profession, while making operational conditions easier to maintain, officials say.

Hexadrone officials asked CRP to devise the functional prototype of the Tundra-M, Hexadrone’s very first mass-produced drone: “We have engineered our drone by means of a cautious, multifaceted, and collaborative based approach with the involvement of broad-based stakeholders,” Hexadrone CEO Alexandre Labesse says. “In the course of two years of consulting, research, and development, we have gathered all the advice and customers’ testimonials useful to its design and which finally helped us in the process of devising an ideal UAV solution.”

Suitable for different flight scenarios and professional uses, the multifunctional Tundra-M boasts four quick-connect arms and three accessory connections. The body and other main parts are made of composite polyamide-based material. Carbon-filled Windform SP and Windform XT 2.0 materials are shaped into pieces using the Selective Laser Sintering 3D Printing Technology. The four arms supporting the body frame of the Tundra were 3D printed using Windform XT 2.0 composite material. The rest of the components were developed with the Windform SP composite material.

Understanding the limitations with traditional manufacturing technologies, the companies identified the opportunity to develop a unique UAS based on the use of Additive Manufacturing (AM) technologies. Additive Manufacturing technologies in UAS applications has presented both opportunity and challenges to engineers in the field. The ability to produce parts and components using AM technologies hold promise in both metals and plastics, whereas traditional subtractive manufacturing technologies can be restrictive in design development and material selection.

Aerialtronics and Department of Defense to focus on Additive Manufacturing

Aerialtronics is a Dutch company producing commercial UAVs. Because of its 3D printing capabilities, their UAVs can be fully customized to meet the needs of individual customers. Some UAVs are used in livestock monitoring, infrastructure inspection, and creative filming.

It was estimated that the company’s research and development costs were diminished by 50% from the use of 3D printing. 3D printing is used to create different-sized sensor equipment, GPS systems, and boxes that accommodate for cables and other electronic components.

Aerialtronics uses Stratasys 3D printing technology to build the UAVs. On a broader scale, streamlining and employing this more cost-effective process permits small companies like Aerialtronics to become a strong contender in the international UAV market.

There is no doubt that 3D printed UAVs will continue to grow into even more useful applications that simplify our lives and meet our everyday needs: Imagine being able to build an UAV on the whim, and customize it to your own specifications, thus making it more affordable and accessible than ever before: This becomes a reality with today’s 3D printing capabilities.

Aside from the benefit of creating custom UAVs, 3D printing offers easy upgradation opportunities: In other words, it is easier to make modifications to a 3D design, then print and test it until the desired variation is achieved. In other ways, now a user can replace broken or malfunctioning parts on an existing UAV with 3D printed ones. So far, several components can be 3D printed including the frame, landing gear, propellers, camera mount, antenna holder, and protective equipment.

Another advantage of 3D printing results from building UAV parts in new lightweight materials. An UAV will perform better and fly longer when it is lighter. It also has better battery life and responsiveness to commands in-flight when it is lighter and weight is evenly distributed. The versatility of materials used for 3D printing translates into higher performance features in the UAVs.

Military branches are also focusing on 3D Printing to explore new ways to make cheaper, lighter, and more effective UAVs. A Marine Corp named Rhet McNeal created Scout, an UAV composed of 3D printed components. This UAV only costs $600 to build in comparison to a traditional one that costs hundreds of thousands of dollars. Since it is 3D printed, should the UAV receive any damage, the parts can be easily printed and replaced within hours. On the other hand, a standard-issue UAV would require weeks, sometimes months, to get a replacement through the Marine Corps’ supply line. Scout is now in the hands of Mitre Corp., a USMC UAV supplier, to undergo certification testing.

¿More examples? The University of Virginia created a 3D printed UAV for the Department of Defense that can be printed in less than a day at $2,500, including electronics development. The body of the drone only costs $800. It is known as the Razor since it appears like one long wing. Weighing in at 6 pounds with all the equipment, the Razor can fly at 40 mph for up to 45 minutes.

The features and capabilities of the Razor are not compromised by the fact that it is 3D printed: after all, it has all the same functions as a traditional UAV with GPS waypoints for navigation, mile-distance control, camera hoisting, and phone linking capabilities that extend the distance it can be controlled within. The greatest advantage of this being 3D printed is that it can be modified and reprinted on the whim.

Last but not least: Soleon is an Italian UAV company advancing its efforts in 3D printing UAVs. Because it deals with diverse projects, including aerial photography and thermal mapping, designs ought to be flexible and quick for upgrades. Soleon uses Materialise to meet customer needs, shorten lead times, and reduce UAV weight. One of their 3D printed UAVs is called SoleonAgro, which is intended for agricultural pest control.

GKN Driveline expands deployment of 3D Printing solutions

‘As we continue to design parts specifically for additive manufacturing, we are finding more and more applications that are delivering value. In the future, I believe that FDM 3D printing will become an integral part of our entire tool development cycle and help us further improve business performance.’ says Carlo Cavallini, GKN lead process engineer.

GKN Driveline —an UK-based, multi-national driveline components supplier and division of global engineering company GKN— is expanding deployment of Stratasys 3D printing solutions at its plant in Florence, Italy, thus replacing several traditional manufacturing processes. GKN Driveline serves over 90 percent of automotive manufacturers globally, including the Fiat Chrysler Automobiles Group as well as Ferrari and Maserati. Customer lead times are continuing to shorten and the plant in Florence identified several applications that 3D printing could be used for, facilitating an overall increase in productivity.

‘The ability to quickly 3D print tools and parts that are customized to a specific production need gives us a new level of flexibility and significantly reduces our supply chain,’ adds Cavallini, also team leader at the plant. ‘Considering that we produce several thousand, individual parts a week, this ability to manufacture on-demand is crucial to ensuring our production line is always operational and maintains business continuity.' The plant’s factory floor team is using the Fortus 450mc to produce complex assembly tools for the production line in almost 70 percent less time than it takes using traditional methods. This, in turn, has enabled the team to undertake feasibility analyses of the tools and start using them more quickly, therefore accelerating the overall production schedule.

The team also managed to print a bespoke end-of-arm tool that moves individual components from one point of the assembly line to the next. It is made from ULTEM 9085 high-performance 3D printing material and can therefore endure prolonged use, said to equal that of a like-for-like metal component. A number of 3D printed end-of-arm tools are now in use across production, significantly reducing production downtime. 3D printing is also being used to produce customized, on-demand replacement parts for manufacturing equipment. For instance, the team recently printed a missing cable bracket for a robot, saving a week on the time it would have taken for a supplier to deliver it and consequently accelerating the delivery of parts to customers.