Tongji University develops 3D printed drone made from continuous carbon fibre composites
The School of Aeronautics, Astronautics and Mechanics of China’s Tongji University teamed up with the Shanghai Aircraft Design and Research Institute of COMAC to apply continuous carbon fibre reinforced resin matrix composite 3D printing technology to manufacture a domestic drone, “Tongfei n°1”. During the test flight, the all-carbon fibre composite 3D printed drone flew smoothly, according to Tongji University.
“Tongfei n°1” uses a canard-type swept-back wing layout with a wingspan of 2.1 metres and a take-off weight of only 1,400 grams. This not only shows the application potential of continuous fibre composite 3D printing technology in the field of drones, but also marks substantial progress in Tongji University’s exploration of the rapid manufacturing of lightweight composite drones. The use of continuous carbon fibre reinforced composite 3D printing technology to manufacture drone parts ensures the rapid prototyping of complex topological structure designs for lightweight drones.
The scientific research team of Professor Li Yan from the School of Aeronautics and Astronautics and Mechanics of Tongji University is funded by the national key R&D project “Large Format Fiber Reinforced Thermoplastic Composite Materials Additive Manufacturing Technology and Equipment”. “Tongfei n°1” is a verification of the project’s phased results in the aircraft field. During the flight test, “Tongfei n°1” performed well in terms of maneuverability, durability, response speed, flight safety and flight stability, fully demonstrating the advantages and potential of this technology in the field of drone manufacturing.
Photos: Tongji University.
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