Unmanned Air Systems

Unmanned Air Systems (UAS) Production Parts and Rapid Prototypes

Rapid Designs leads the Additive Manufacturing industry in the manufacture of flight hardware and prototypes using Laser Sintering. Rapid Designs supplies Unmanned Air Vehicles (UAV) fly-away hardware to the aerospace and defense industries. With its advanced expertise, vast experience and AS9100 and ISO certification, Rapid Designs excels in the development of these highly specialized custom UAV components. Major UAS customers include AAI Corporation (a Textron Company), B.A.E. Systems, Boeing, DRS, Goodrich, Honeywell, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, Raytheon, Sikorsky Aircraft, Tyco Electronics, U.S. Army, and U.S. Army Research Laboratory.

Rapid Designs is a founding member of the Keystone Chapter of Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International (AUVSI) and a bronze member since 2006 of the Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International (AUVSI).

Advancements in additive manufacturing techniques along with new developments in laser sintering materials, coatings and processing have provided innovative additive manufacturing solutions to meet the demanding durability and reliability requirement for UAS industry. This also applies to ground and undersea applications for un-manned ground vehicles (UGVs) and un-manned undersea vehicles (UUVs).

 

Additive Manufacturing Terminology Note

Currently there are various terms used by customers and providers to describe these technologies and processes. Additive manufacturing (AM) is defined by ASTM as the “process of joining materials to make objects from 3D model data, usually layer upon layer, as opposed to subtractive manufacturing methodologies. Synonyms include: additive fabrication, additive processes, additive techniques, additive layer manufacturing, layer manufacturing and freeform fabrication

The use of the term “additive” refers to the process of adding material and building the product layer by layer in processes such as selective laser sintering and stereolithography. This is in contrast to “subtractive” methods such as cutting, lathing, turning, milling and machining, where material is removed to create the part or protoype. Additive fabrication is more often used to refer to the process itself, while additive manufacturing carries the connotation that additive fabrication technologies are utilized to manufacture finished parts that are used in the final products, not just as prototypes.

Contact Rapid Designs for UAS Parts

To discuss additive manufacturing for UAS parts or to request a quotation, please contact Rapid Designs.