3D-printed design enables a drone to fly longer and lift heavier loads
80% reduction in material usage through 3D-print design optimisation
The Danish startup Airflight tested metal 3D printing in the design optimisation programme Design for Additive Manufacturing (DfAM), where they succeeded in reducing the weight by as much as 67% on a lightweight bracket for the wings of their cargo drone.
In the video, you can hear more about Airflight’s optimisation work from owner and CEO Mikkel Kærsgaard Sørensen – and, not least, see the drone in the air.
The case: Overview and context
Airflight is based in Brønderslev, from where they build some of the world’s largest multirotors – essentially an oversized drone – to fly components and tools for the wind turbine industry. The largest drone has eight arms and can lift up to 200 kg.
The company chose to take part in the 3D-print design optimisation programme DfAM to explore the possibilities for the brackets that hold the drone’s arms. In the project, the brackets were design-optimised for 3D printing so they became lighter while still being able to withstand the loads-and they were also 3D printed in titanium. This resulted in a weight reduction of 67%-or a full 11 kg per drone.
“Through the project, we have achieved an 11 kg weight reduction and reduced the amount of material by 80%. The value for us is the extreme design flexibility, where we can achieve a higher strength-to-weight ratio, which is an important part of aviation, as it means we can fly for longer or with a heavier payload.”
Results from programmes with Dansk AM Hub
- 59% weight reduction per bracket
- 11 kg weight reduction for the entire drone
- 80% reduction in material usage
- Less material waste than machining the bracket
Value and impact for the company
During 2022, 15 Danish companies worked on redesigning a product or component using 3D printing through Danish AM Hub’s innovation programme: Design for Additive Manufacturing (DfAM). Of these, 11 companies had a ‘pre-component’ that made it possible to compare with the redesigned component, and in ten of these cases it was possible to reduce the weight by between 43% and 96%. The benefits of weight reduction served different purposes depending on each company’s specific production and end products.
Specifically in the DfAM project, the aim has been to design participants’ components or products better or differently so they can be manufactured using less material, with greater strength, and optimised with new or improved functionality and efficiency. All with the purpose of creating more sustainable products and components.
About the company
Airflight
Location
Brønderslev, North Jutland
Number of employees
2
Info
Airflight builds some of the world’s largest multirotors and uses the multirotor platform for lifting operations.
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