Build, adapt, and scale faster as mission and operator requirements change. Manufacture in house with Stratasys 3D printers, partner with Stratasys Direct for U.S.-based part production, or combine both to balance control, flexibility, and capacity.
Defense UxS programs rarely hold still. Operator feedback, payload changes, and evolving mission profiles can create new configuration, replacement, and production requirements. Teams must still manage SWaP (size, weight, and power), intended operating conditions, configuration control, compliance, traceability, cost, and the fielding schedule.
Polymer additive manufacturing can shorten the build-test-improve cycle, reduce reliance on hard tooling, and support a controlled path from production-relevant prototypes to production-quality parts at the required rate.
ENVIRONMENTAL
Challenge
Mission environment and service life can change the dominant requirements, including temperature, moisture, sealing, chemical exposure, UV, FST, and outgassing. Designing beyond the actual service need can add cost, weight, and complexity without adding mission value.
Solution
Evaluate materials against the actual exposure. Potential options include ULTEM™ 9085 resin for applicable FST, thermal, and chemical requirements; AIS™ Antero® 800NA for high heat, chemical resistance, and low outgassing; and P3™ DLP materials for selected UV, water, chemical, and elevated-temperature requirements.
MECHANICAL
Challenge
Defense UAV components must balance mass, stiffness, durability, aerodynamic performance, and production rate. Sensor gimbal hardware may also need to maintain stable alignment under dynamic flight conditions.
Solution
Potential starting points include FDM® Nylon 12CF™ for highly rigid parts and P3™ Deflect™ 110 for precise sensor or gimbal housings requiring high stiffness, thermal resistance, and dimensional stability. Final selection depends on loads, geometry, environment, quantity, and qualification.
PROGRAM
Challenge
A successful prototype does not prove that parts can be produced, inspected, documented, delivered, and accepted at the required quantity, schedule, and quality level. Defense customers may also evaluate whether the production team can scale from a handful of units to hundreds or thousands without losing configuration control.
Solution
Define service life, quantity, production rate, design-change cadence, and the transition-to-production plan first. Then establish the complete route, including process, downstream operations, inspection, traceability, documentation, and delivery, using in-house, outsourced, or hybrid capacity as needed.
ELECTRICAL
Challenge
UAV electronics and avionics enclosures may need electrostatic-dissipative behavior and protection from EMI/RFI while remaining lightweight and accommodating connectors and other integrated components.
Solution
Potential options include AIS™ Antero® 840CN03 when ESD performance, high heat and chemical resistance, and low outgassing are required. Applied EMI/RFI shielding may also be evaluated for additively manufactured enclosures.
The applications below are candidates and should be treated as starting points. Final process, material, and manufacturing-route selection depends on loads, operating environment, quantity, inspection, and qualification requirements.
| Application | Typical parts | Technology and material options | Why it fits | Route |
| Payload and sensor systems | Sensor and gimbal housings, payload enclosures, camera mounts, radio mounts, modular payload interfaces |
Origin® Two with P3™ Deflect™110 resin; F900® with high-performance FDM® materials |
Supports configuration changes to payloads, sensors, radios, and interfaces, with material options for stiffness, thermal stability, dimensional accuracy, chemical resistance, and UV exposure | |
| Avionics and electrical systems | Avionics enclosures, battery compartments, wireways, conduits | F900® with AIS™ Antero® 840CN03 or AIS™ Antero® 800NA | ESD performance with AIS™ Antero® 840CN03 when required; high heat, chemical resistance, toughness, and low outgassing from the appropriate validated Antero® material. | |
| Structural interfaces | Payload attachments, brackets, rigid mountings, fittings | F3300® or F900® with FDM® Nylon 12CF™ | High stiffness and strength-to-weight performance for rigid structural interfaces and tooling | |
| Aerodynamic and airframe components | Ducts, shrouds, closeouts, covers, selected aerodynamic surfaces and airframe structures | F900® with ULTEM™ 9085 resin or AIS™ Antero® 800NA; Origin® Two with LOCTITE® 3D 3955 FST for smaller components | Lightweight complex geometry with FST, high-temperature, or chemical-resistance options | |
| Batch-produced components | Covers, clips, guards, small housings, protective components | H350® with Stratasys® High Yield PA11 powder or SAF™ PA12 powder | PA11 for impact and fatigue resistance; PA12 for precise, durable, cost-efficient batch production | |
| Tooling and sustainment | Assembly fixtures, drilling guides, repair tools, replacement hardware | FDM®, SAF®, P3™, or a Stratasys Direct® process selected for the application | Fast geometry changes, digital inventory, controlled revisions, and repeatable production workflows |
Some simple commodity geometries, stable high-volume parts, or applications with specific performance and qualification requirements may be better manufactured another way. The right answer depends on the application. Our team can help determine whether additive manufacturing warrants further discussion for the final part, tooling, bridge production, or another part of the manufacturing route.
Talk to an ExpertChallenge
Scale additive manufacturing from isolated applications into a repeatable production capability while maintaining the quality control, qualification, and standardization required for unmanned aircraft programs.
Solution
GA-ASI built a phased, hybrid additive manufacturing ecosystem combining in-house Stratasys FDM systems with vetted partners such as Stratasys Direct, supported by application business cases and a dedicated Center of Excellence.
Challenge
Aurora Flight Sciences set out to show how quickly a team could move from design and production to flight with a jet-powered, thrust-vectoring UAV. The aircraft required a stiff, lightweight airframe, precise center-of-gravity control, and materials suited to demanding operating conditions.
Solution
Aurora and Stratasys combined Fortus® 3D printers with Stratasys Direct Manufacturing’s laser sintering and direct metal laser sintering capabilities. Topology optimization, part consolidation, and GrabCAD collaboration helped the six-engineer team produce 26 of the aircraft’s 34 components with additive manufacturing.
9085, 1010 and ULTEM™ trademarks are used under license from SABIC, its affiliate or subsidiary
DVIDS / U.S. military visual information. The appearance of U.S. Department of War (DoW) visual information does not imply or constitute DoW endorsement
