Application of the week: Reconnaissance drone

Additive manufacturing offers various applications for the defense and military industry. With diverse material options and on-demand printing, organizations can utilize the flexibility of 3D printing.

Jeremy Evers, a senior applications engineer at UltiMaker, designed one example of such an application in-house - a reconnaissance drone.

Reconnaissance drones are incredibly versatile in defense, offering a wide range of uses that enhance situational awareness and operational effectiveness. Drones can gather real-time video, still imagery, and other sensor data (like infrared or thermal imaging) from areas that might be too dangerous or inaccessible for manned aircraft or ground troops. This provides critical intelligence on enemy movements, positions, equipment, and terrain.

Additionally, the drone can assist with search and rescue operations, route clearance, mapping and surveillance. The advantages of using drones for these tasks include reducing risk to human life, lower operating costs compared to manned aircraft, longer endurance, and the ability to operate in environments too hazardous for pilots.

Additive manufacturing for rapid and flexible drone creation

Thanks to additive manufacturing, this drone could be printed on-demand with custom design. Military missions have unique requirements, and 3D printing allows for the rapid production of drones with tailored features, such as optimized aerodynamics, specific payload capacities, or custom mounts for sensors and equipment.

This drone prototype, which is 67 cm high and 65 cm wide, with a weight of 1,6 kg, was created with UltiMaker Tough PLA, together with breakaway support material for certain structures. As the end-use drone is flying, the build must be as light as possible. Therefore, the suggested material for the end-use part would be a lightweight material option, such as PP with carbon fiber or glass fiber.

The total print time for this drone is 2 days 10 hours and 54 minutes. By 3D printing the drone, defense organizations can create an end-use part in a few days, compared to traditional methods or third-party sourcing. 3D printing allows for rapid prototyping, enabling designers to quickly create, test, and refine drone components. This accelerates the innovation cycle and allows for faster deployment of new designs.

Additive manufacturing allows for the creation of complex and intricate designs that would be impossible or prohibitively expensive with traditional methods. This design freedom enables engineers to create structures with internal lattices or honeycomb patterns, which are incredibly strong but also very lightweight. This drone consists of 10 separate components, including wings, camera cover and a nose - all of which could be 3D printed with UltiMaker Secure.