Components best suited for commercially viable SLM display one of the following characteristics [1]
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This safety-critical casing is used to protect electronic components driving the control systems of a subsonic unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) used in military reconnaissance missions. Originally made up of aluminium alloy that can cause interferences, the enclosure is redesigned for Selective Laser Sintering of polyamide powder in order to avoid white noise. |
Case study: design study of avionics enclosure
Objective: assessing SLS use and specific redesign rules to improve a subsonic unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) enclosure
Challenges: tooling costs, delivery schedule: 2 weeks for full design and development of 2 finished components, stringent customer requirements: light weight / waterproof / able to withstand electromagnetic interference, cost effectiveness.
Combining customers’ requirement with practical experience of SLS characteristics allows significant direct design innovations impossible with injection moulding:
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Following this study, specific re-design and use of SLS was also successfully employed on a follow-up project [3], and has since established itself as the way to produce deliverable, performance enclosures specifically for UAVs. [3]
[1] M. J. Burton, “Design for rapid manufacture : developing an appropriate knowledge transfer tool for industrial designers,” Loughborough University, 2005.
[2] S. Maidin, R. I. Campbell, I. Drstvensek, and P. Sever, “Design for rapid manufacturing – capturing designers ’ knowledge,” in Advanced Research in Virtual and Rapid Prototyping – Proceedings of VR@P4, 2009, pp. 311–317.
[3] P. du Plessis, “A Functional Application Of RM In A Military Environment,” in TCT Conference, 2008.