Abstract
The aim of this paper is to investigate the possibility of drone optimization by selecting and testing the best material suitable for additive manufacturing technology and generative design approach, i. e. shape optimization. The use of additive manufacturing technology enables the creation of models of more complex shapes that are difficult or impossible to produce with conventional processing methods. The complex and unconventional design of the drone body can open up many possibilities for weight reduction while maintaining the strength of the drone body. By using 3D printing in addition to FEM (Finite Element Method) analysis, and generative design it can identify areas of the drone body that are overdrawn, allowing it to either lift off material or simply change the design at these areas. Choosing the right material for this application is crucial in order to optimise the mechanical properties of the material with weight, material cost, printability and availability of the material and the 3D printing method, while at the same time reducing environmental pollution. The goal is to reduce the drone mass by 15–20 % using generative design tools. Mass is an important segment when prototyping a drone. If the drone is too heavy, more lift power is needed to keep the drone in the air, so the propellers have to turn faster and use more energy. Consequently, the reduction of drone mass should increase the take-off weight. In this article 5 commercial drones of similar characteristics are compared with the final proposal of our 3D printed drone (Prototype 1). The rotor distance between the drones, the weight of the electric motor and the take-off weight are compared. The goal was to produce a prototype with a big rotor distance-to-weight ratio, and take-off weight bigger than observed drones have.
 The defined goal function was optimized in order to evaluate characteristics of 12 different 3D printed materials. Following properties: ultimate strength, stiffness, durability, printability of the material, and required bed and extruder temperature for printing were taken in consideration to select optimal material. Polycarbonate proved to be the best choice for 3D printing UAVs
Highlights
Until a few years ago, the unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) industry relied mostly on widely used conventional machining methods, which can often have a large carbon footprint
additive manufacturing (AM) technology can produce complex design that is impossible for achieving by using of conventional methods [2,3,4,5,6]
Presented approach demonstrated that combination of several new technologies can have a positive impact in the production of UAV prototypes
Summary
Until a few years ago, the unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) industry relied mostly on widely used conventional machining methods, which can often have a large carbon footprint. AM technology can produce complex design that is impossible for achieving by using of conventional methods [2,3,4,5,6]. New geometries such as grids, cell structures in form of honeycombs and optimized structures with bionic look-a-like design can improve the overall performance of the aircraft [7,8,9,10]. UAVs are often used in various industrial and medical fields. Transporting the cameras and other photographic equipment allows various operations, as coastal surveying [11], agriculture monitoring [12, 13] fishing observing [14], forest monitoring [15], meteorological data acquisition [16], disaster monitoring, societal impacts and public safety [17,18,19,20,21], flood disaster monitoring [22], archaeological evaluation [23], surveillance, offensive, defensive manoeuvring and reconnaissance [24], building modelling for architectural usage [25] and supporting communication platforms [26]
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