Manufacturing of high endurance uncrewed aerial vehicles (UAVs) requires the manufacturing of innovative structures. Unfortunately, traditional production methods of innovative structures are incredibly labour intensive and expensive. Notably, moulds costs are high and the handling time is remarkably long. Thus, innovative design-oriented production technologies are required for the production of cost-effective, high endurance uncrewed aerial vehicles.
Additive manufacturing can be utilised to cut down the costs, improve aerodynamics and structural efficiencies of uncrewed aerial vehicles. Additive manufacturing is a fabrication of parts layer by layer directly from a CAD file. Additive manufacturing can produce aerospace-grade metals, ceramics, thermoplastics, and composites. Thus, additive manufacturing bridges digital and physical production of complex parts. So parts can be quickly produced and assembled. Hence, low volume and cost-effective production are conceivable with additive manufacturing.
At Belpico, we are developing entirely printed high endurance uncrewed aerial vehicles. By using fused deposition modelling (FDM), stereolithography (SLA), and selective laser sintering (SLS) it will be possible to manufacture high endurance uncrewed aerial vehicles on site. So, with on-demand production facilities, it will be possible to project power anytime, anywhere. Ultimately we are developing technologies which will cut down on the logistics and maintenance costs drastically.