Researchers 3D print working drone with embedded electronics

News

Researchers at Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NTU Singapore) have 3D printed a ready-to-fly drone with embedded electronics using an aerospace-grade material.

The electronics were incorporated in the drone during the 3D printing process, which employs Stratasys’ ULTEM 9085, a high strength, lightweight FDM (fused deposition modelling) material certified for use in commercial aircraft.

NTU’s Singapore Centre for 3D Printing (SC3DP) and Stratasys Asia Pacific, a subsidiary of Minneapolis-based Stratasys, have jointly developed the drone.

The drone is a quadcopter with four rotors that was designed, 3D printed and flown by Phillip Keane, an NTU PhD candidate from the School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering.

Embedding electronics into 3D printed parts presented challenges as most will not survive the high temperatures - over 160 degrees C - of the additive process. For the project, commercial grade electronics were modified and placed within the drone at the various stages of the printing process. The motors and propellers were mounted after the entire chassis was completed.

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