Research Study Concerning the Structural Design of a Drone Using 3D Print Technology

ABSTRACT

The frame of a drone serves as support to hold in place all the key components of the drone, such as the battery, controller board, motors, and all the modules needed for different projects. In the industry, the drone frame is CNC machined from a block of material, or in some cases it is made of composite materials, carbon fiber, and fiberglass with epoxy resin. Drone design and its applicability are in continuous development, leading to a high need for replacement parts or customized components to adapt them in various fields such as agriculture, photography, mapping, aerial surveillance, emergency situations, and many others. The use of 3D prototyping in the design of drone subassemblies allows us to test and validate design concepts, allowing for possible modifications from the design stage to validate that the concept meets the desired vision. In this article, we can see how we can create a drone model using a small controller and various components to design a larger drone using 3D design software and FDM 3D printing technology. In the paper, we can go through the systematic design process of the drone's main components.