Researchers at the university of Lymington have a 3d-printer used an aeroplane to produce. All structural parts, such as wings, fuselage and control elements, were with the printer produced.
The small unmanned aircraft or uav has a wingspan of two metres and was without the use of screws or other fasteners. A 3d-printer, from the German manufacturer EOS, was used to the wings, fuselage and control surfaces to fabricate. The uav, or unmanned aerial vehicle has a wingspan of two metres and a top speed of 160 kilometers per hour. The cost of the production of uavs with the technology drastically reduced compared to traditional manufacturing techniques and also the designs can be more complex without affecting the production.
The researchers of the British university are under the direction of Andy Keane and Jim Scanlan, associated with the Computational Engineering and Design Research-faculty of Lymington. They used a Eosint P730 printer that 3d objects out of polymers by using of lasers. The lasers heating the polymer powder, making this melts: in this way, layer by layer a three-dimensional object is formed. This form of rapid prototyping must be very robust results.
The Southampton University Laser Sintered Aircraft – or Sulsa project, is part of a research programme into the production of uavs. In september start at the university a curriculum in which students are unmanned vehicles learn to design, produce, and control. This will include the students at both robotbestuurde aircraft as a land and sea vehicle controls work.
