Public safety technology firm Axle Box Innovations is using Essentium’s High Speed Extrusion 3D printing technology to produce parts for a fire management and protection drone.
Harnessing 3D printing and Essentium’s high-performance, heat-resistant materials, Axle Box Innovations has reduced the development time, while producing lightweight drone bodies that can withstand the extreme heat profiles of wildfires. Most commercial off-the-shelf drones cannot be deployed into wildfires and the development of such devices is often complex, time-consuming and costly.
In overcoming those typical obstacles, Axle Box Innovations has used Essentium’s HTN-CF25 material, which is 25% carbon fibre reinforced, because of its high heat deflection temperature, as well as its tensile and flexural strength. This material has been used to 3D print the drone’s mid-body, while its side covers have printed using Essentium PA-CF. These side covers have been designed to fail before the mid-body without sacrificing thermal stability.
By leveraging Essentium’s 3D printing portfolio, Axle Box Innovations are said to have sped up the development process, enjoyed the increased design freedom and designed, printed and deployed parts within hours. The drone platform has so far ‘exceeded expectations for high-speed impact and overall functionality’ during demo flight tests.
“The speed, scale and economics of the HSE 3D printer combined with Essentium’s array of advanced 3D printing filaments are changing the game for the design and development of drone platforms,” commented Madison Jones, Director of Additive Manufacturing at Axle Box Innovations. “The HSE has transformed our manufacturing floor, and we typically go from design to production in under four weeks. If we need a new part, we can have one printed and up in the air in a couple of hours. Our first responder customers will benefit greatly from this innovation agility.”
“As first responders gear up for fire season, firefighters need nimble, remote-controlled drones to achieve visual oversight of wildfires in virtually every type of environment – from urban areas to rural deserts,” added Essentium CEO Blake Teipel. “We are excited Axle Box Innovations has chosen our 3D printing platform to enable the development of structurally rugged drones that can withstand these extremely harsh conditions.”
