The recent groundbreaking advances in 3D printing have come a long way. The birth of biotech vascular printing technology and the widespread use of aerospace components have made it a boon for all kinds of portable and high-precision 3D printers. After hearing about the bad news about 3DSystems, its rival Stratasys began to chase after it, trying to distance itself from 3DS. At the Dubai Air Show this Monday, Stratasys, a leading 3D printing company, demonstrated a 3D printed jet drone developed with Aurora Flight Sciences, a leading developer of advanced vehicles. The UAV wingspan to 3 meters but weighs only 15 kg, 80% of them are 3D printed. The most amazing is that it can reach 150 miles per hour. According to Dan Campball, a research engineer at Aurora Flight Sciences, this impressive UAV achieves all the goals set before they were developed. "Our main goal is to show the aerospace industry how quickly you can get the whole process of designing, making, and then flying a 3D printed jet aircraft. To our knowledge, this is the largest, Fastest and the most complex 3D printed UAV, "he said. Stratasys own R & D staff are also very satisfied with this result. "This is a perfect demonstration of the aerospace industry's unique capabilities that additive manufacturing can bring," said Scott Sevcik, Stratasys senior aerospace and defense senior business development manager. "This means we are going to be on the same plane Using different 3D printing materials and technologies to optimize their performance and 3D printing of lightweight and functional structural components. "Stratasys provided Aurora with the necessary 3D printing solutions to meet its specific goals Create a hard, lightweight structure needs. More importantly, they say 3D printing technology enables more economical UAV customization, which can cut its production cycle up to 50%. Campbell said: "Stratasys 3D printing technology can easily support rapid design iterations, resulting in a significant reduction in time between the first conceptual design and the first successful flight." Overall, this technology will allow us to design and manufacture the aircraft Time has been reduced by 50%. " It is understood that, in the 3D printed aircraft structural components, using the Stratasys flagship technology FDM. R & D team said this allows them to create a hollow structure reasonable parts. In addition, the R & D team used other 3D printing technologies. "In addition to building all the major structural components using FDM technology and materials, we also take full advantage of the capabilities of Stratasys Direct Manufacturing to select the most appropriate technology for a number of components, such as the use of laser-sintered nylon to create a fuel tank, Thrust vector exhaust nozzles, on the other hand, are printed in metallic 3D so that they withstand the extreme heat of the engine nozzle, "said Sevcik. "With parts made from ULTEM materials that Stratasys uses to meet the FAA's flame, smoke and toxicity requirements, ULTEM is today the choice of many of our aerospace customers for their 3D printed end products." In addition, the drone is equally impressive in terms of economy and fuel efficiency. Stratasys claims: "It is obvious that lighter vehicles consume less fuel, be it land, sea or air, which enables users to reduce operating costs and reduce environmental impact." Moreover, the use of additive manufacturing techniques to produce much less It also eliminates material waste and scrap, reducing manufacturing costs. "
