Ventajas de la fabricación aditiva

La impresión 3D está cambiando lentamente la visión de cómo se van a fabricar las cosas a partir de ahora.

Como todos los lectores de este blog saben, la impresión 3D, también conocida como fabricación aditiva, crea productos de una vez, partiendo de la nada y agregando capas de material.

Este proceso representa un cambio radical frente a la fabricación sustractiva, donde los objetos se forman comenzando con un tocho de material de construcción que se va tallando o rebajando hasta conseguir el objeto deseado.

Crear geometrías complejas y combinar diferentes materiales en una pieza son tan sólo algunos de los principales beneficios del uso de la impresión 3D en la industria manufacturera. A modo de muestra, Jeffrey Immelt, Presidente y Director Ejecutivo de General Electric, nos ofreció en The Economist su visión acerca del enorme impacto que la impresión 3D está teniendo en el proceso de diseño y fabricación:  ”Si se pueden fabricar formas únicas con materiales de alta tecnología en un período corto de tiempo, vale la pena mi tiempo y, por supuesto, la inversión”. (Fuente: Entrevista con Jeffrey Immelt, Presidente y Director Ejecutivo, General Electric, y Greg Ip, Editor de Economía de EE. UU., The Economist, a través de Blip.tv)

Este nuevo proceso de fabricación permite una personalización precisa, lo cual beneficia a múltiples industrias que fabrican desde productos de consumo hasta dispositivos médicos. Pero más allá del proceso de fabricación, los efectos de la impresión 3D se están haciendo sentir en otros lugares de la cadena de abastecimiento, lo cual plantea nuevas interrogantes para los fabricantes y los consumidores:

¿Quién modelará el producto? ¿Donde? ¿Cuándo? ¿A qué precio?

¿Dónde se fabricará?

¿Cómo se enviarán los nuevos productos?

La impresión 3D puede hacer posible que los productos se fabriquen en series cortas bajo pedido, de acuerdo con las especificaciones individuales de cada cliente. Esto representa un método muy diferente al de la fabricación habitual que hasta ahora se realiza en las fábricas. En opinión de de Jay Timmons, Director Ejecutivo y Presidente de la National Association of Manufacturers (USA): “Desde el punto de vista de la fabricación [la impresión 3D] va a revolucionar la industria. Es realmente una tecnología asombrosa.”. (Fuente: Malia Spencer, periodista de Pittsburgh Business Times)

DoD seeks a common controller for many unmanned systems

The Pentagon is looking for a single system that could be used to control a wide variety of Unmanned Air Vehicles. It would save money while simplifying training and operations. Industry has approached the problem from different directions, including service-oriented architecture, “black box” hardware and plug-and-play software interfaces. Still, companies contend that the Defense Department will also need to change how it develops unmanned systems, which are now under the authority of siloed program offices. (Read More)

Police UAVs helps on decreasing response times for disasters

 

When disaster strikes, a quick response is necessary in order to save lives. In most cases, there’s a limited window of time for responders to rescue survivors, and often this window shrinks as it takes firefighters, police, and first responders use a great deal of time to gather information and plot a rescue strategy.

 

 

Fortunately, there’s an easy, time-efficient method of gathering data during and after a disaster: UAV search and rescue. Police UAVs are fast becoming a trusted method of disaster management: With a UAV, police and other rescue workers have the ability to get real information about a disaster right away, maximizing the time available to perform search and rescue operations. Jerry Stuckey, a veteran firefighter and CEO of FireFlight UAS, an Oklahoma-based drone company, notes how long it can take to get information after a disaster using traditional means: “It’s usually 45 minutes to an hour after you arrive on scene on an incident before you get real information. We can have [a UAV] up in the air in three minutes.”

 

In addition to offering a speedy method of obtaining information after a disaster, UAV search and rescue also enhances the safety of police officials and first responders. FireFlight police UAVs offer the option for responders to stay back until more information is gathered and the situation can be assessed properly. In just a few minutes, a police UAV will give disaster management officials the whole picture in real time. By using a UAV, police and other officials will be more capable of responding quickly and saving more lives. UAV search and rescue also offers a safer approach to disaster management because a drone, unlike a helicopter, won’t upset the scene. Most helicopters stir up debris and dust that can compromise a scene and increase the dangers to survivors and rescuers alike, but that’s not the case with police UAVs. When emergency officials send in a UAV, police can be certain that the ground won’t be disturbed and that they’ll get an accurate picture of what needs to be done to save lives.

The Global UAV Market 2013-2023 - A US$114.7 Billion Opportunity

 

UAVs have proved to be exceedingly useful during peacekeeping missions and the ongoing global war on terror in Afghanistan and Pakistan, finding applications across ISR and combat roles. Furthermore, enhanced capabilities in areas such as endurance, data processing, and communications have broadened ISR UAV use in both defense and intelligence roles. It is anticipated that 4,000 different unmanned aircraft platforms are in circulation on the global market.

 

In light of their enhanced endurance and lower maintenance costs, solar-powered UAVs are emerging as the latest revelation in the market, attracting investment from defense ministries across the globe. High endurance of solar-powered UAVs enhances their ability to provide real-time, high-quality surveillance data for large geographical areas, and for longer periods. HALE UAVs offer a low-cost consistent surveillance capability and are capable of producing and storing solar energy in their fuel cells which can then be used for night flying.

 

Almost all major countries now have their UCAV programs in place, some in isolation, and others in collaboration. Leading the way, in May 2013, the U.S. Navy underwent flight trials for the X-47B, a giant leap in the UCAV industry, as it was for the first time that an unmanned aircraft took off from an aircraft carrier. Though it is not due to go into production, the research and development is expected to spawn operational variants in the near future.

Spanning over 229 pages, 84 tables and 101 figures, “The Global UAV Market 2013-2023” report presents an in-depth assessment of the global UAV market till 2023.

In addition to covering the market size & drivers, industry trends, challenges, swot analysis, country analysis, major uav programs, competitive landscape and strategic insights the report also presents comprehensive forecasts for the market till 2023. The report covers 20 key industry players namely AAI Corporation, Aeronautics Ltd., AeroVironment, Alenia Aermacchi, BAE Systems, BlueBird Aero Systems, Boeing, Cassidian, Dassault Aviation SA, Denel Dynamics, Elbit Systems Ltd., EMT Ingenieurgesellschaft, General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc., Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI),  Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI), Northrop Grumman Corporation, Sagem, Selex ES, Singapore Technologies Aerospace and Saab.

 

For more information, visit: http://www.marketresearchreports.com/strategic-defence-intelligence/global-uav-market-2013-2023

Drone It Yourself turns random objects into RC quadrotors

Jasper van Loenen's Drone It Yourself project turns more or less anything into a quadrotor drone with addition of a few motors and a control unit. According to van Loenen, all the plastic parts, which include the clamps to attach the motors, can be 3D printed in ABS, with the appropriate files made available on van Loenen's website. (Read more)

FAA rules on domestic UAV flights

 

Current FAA regulations offer two avenues for approval for UAV operations: First, operators can apply for an experimental airworthiness certificate for private-sector civil aircraft to do research and development, training and flight demonstrations. The second avenue requires operators to obtain a Certificate of Authorization (COA) for public aircraft, which are those that are owned by the U.S. government or a state. (read more)

India: UAV Netra para operaciones de rescate en Kedarnath

 

Los equipos de emergencia y salvamento personados en Kedarnath están haciendo uso de un UAV para ayudar a las autoridades a evaluar los daños y buscar personas atrapadas entre los escombros tras las inundaciones acontecidas en la región.

 

 

En palabras de un portavoz oficial, "Un UAV Netra y seis miembros de la National Disaster Response Force están desplegados sobre el territorio de Kedarnath. Debido al mal tiempo reinante, el UAV ayudará en las tareas de rescate proporcionando vistas aereas en directo de las zonas más dificilmente accesibles".