Experimental Studies on 3D Printed Parts for Rapid Prototyping of Micro Aerial Vehicles

Chandrasekhar  Udayagiri; Milind  Kulkarni; Balasubramanian  Esakki; Sarasu  Pakiriswamy; Lung-Jieh  Yang

doi:10.6180/jase.2016.19.1.03

Experimental Studies on 3D Printed Parts for Rapid Prototyping of Micro Aerial Vehicles

Chandrasekhar Udayagiri This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.¹, Milind Kulkarni² , Balasubramanian Esakki¹ , Sarasu Pakiriswamy¹ and Lung-Jieh Yang³

¹Vel Tech University, Avadi, Chennai, India
²Engineering Staff College of India, Hyderabad, Telangana, India
³Tamkang University, Tamsui, Taiwan 251, R.O.C.

Received: September 30, 2015
Accepted: December 21, 2015
Publication Date: March 1, 2016

Download Citation: ||https://doi.org/10.6180/jase.2016.19.1.03

ABSTRACT

This paper presents the results of exploratory studies for facilitating the direct use of 3D printed parts in design and development of micro aerial vehicles (MAV). 3D printing processes of stereolithography and fused deposition modeling are investigated as the candidate prototyping options. Custom developed electro-chemical and mechanical processes are used to deposit thin structural nickel coatings on 3D printed test specimens and MAV parts. Residual stress and mechanical strength of coated 3D printed specimens are evaluated through experimental methods. Considerable improvement is realized in tensile and impact performance of the coated 3D printed parts. Findings from this study enable the MAV research teams to work with multiple design options and arrive at optimal solutions without severe time and cost penalties that are typically associated with conventional manufacturing procedures.

Keywords: Stereolithography, Fused Deposition Modeling, Electro Deposition, Micro Aerial Vehicles, Residual Stress, Design Iteration

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