The Lightweight Practice Of Aluminum Alloy Die-Castings In Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Frames

(MENAFN- GetNews) The lightweight practice of aluminum alloy die-castings in unmanned aerial vehicle frames

Opening Introduction

The drone's endurance and payload can't be increased? The problem often lies in the framework. Traditional machined parts are heavy and bulky, while composite materials are expensive and difficult to mass-produce. This is the most headache-inducing contradiction in the industry. We have been deeply engaged in low-pressure casting for fifteen years and have found that aluminum alloy die-casting is the key to breaking the deadlock. This article does not discuss empty theories. We will directly disassemble: how to reduce the frame weight by more than 30% through low-pressure Casting Technology while ensuring strength, and significantly lower the cost at the same time. Now, I will guide you step by step through the ins and outs of lightweighting, from material selection, structural design to practical process application.

I. Why is low-pressure casting considered the optimal solution for the lightweighting of unmanned aerial vehicles? For a drone to fly long and steadily, every gram of weight is of vital importance. In traditional CNC milling of 6061 aluminum materials, the material utilization rate is often less than 40%, and a large amount of aluminum materials turn into waste chips, leaving a "safe zone" with excessive allowance. Although carbon fiber is light, its mold-making cost is extremely high and it is difficult to integrate complex internal structures.

Low-pressure casting is different. It uses gas pressure to smoothly press molten aluminum into the mold, and can produce thin-walled parts with uniform wall thickness and complex structure. Our actual measurement shows that for the center panels of unmanned aerial vehicles with the same function, die-Cast Parts can reduce the weight by 25% to 35% compared with machined parts. The material utilization rate can be increased to over 85%. This directly translates into a longer battery life.

Industry case: We collaborated with an industrial inspection drone customer to change the main load-bearing frame from 8 CNC parts to 1 low-pressure casting. Not only has the total weight been reduced by 32%, but the assembly time has also been cut by 70%, and the overall rigidity of the machine has been enhanced. The customer's greatest concern about the "insufficient strength of the casting" was completely dispelled by us through the subsequent tensile test data.

Ii. Overcoming Thin-Walled Casting: How to Achieve a Wall Thickness of 1.2mm Without Deformation? The core of lightweighting is "thinness". However, thin-walled casting is prone to two major problems: underfilling and deformation. This places extreme demands on mold design and process parameters.

Our experience is that simulation software must be adopted first. Before the mold development, the flow of molten aluminum, temperature field and stress field are analyzed through casting simulation. This can predict in advance where shrinkage cavities will occur and where the tendons need to be strengthened. For instance, when we were designing a boom connection component, we optimized the wall thickness from 1.5mm to 1.2mm through simulation and designed a conformed reinforcing rib network inside.

Key data: Currently, the average wall thickness of our mass-produced drone die-castings can be stably maintained at 1.2-1.5mm, and the thinnest part can reach 0.8mm. This requires controlling the temperature of the molten aluminum, the mold temperature and the pressurization curve within an extremely precise window. A genuine user's question is: "It's so thin. Will it crack if dropped?" This depends on the coordination of materials and Heat Treatment. We select high-toughness AlSiMg series aluminum alloys and combine them with precise T5 or T6 heat treatment, making the parts lightweight while having excellent impact toughness.

Iii. Integrated Structural Design: A Weight Reduction Philosophy That Kills Three Birds with One Stone - Lightweighting is not simply about making things thinner; rather, it is about using ingenious design to enable one part to do the work of multiple parts. This is precisely the strength of Die Casting. In the traditional solution, the motor base, tripod and antenna bracket are all separate parts, which are fastened with screws. This not only increases the weight but also raises the risk of assembly points.

Through low-pressure casting, we can integrate all these functions into a single main frame. The precise stop mouth of the motor base, the buffer structure of the tripod, and the cavity for embedding the nut are directly cast in the mold. This not only eliminates the weight of the connecting parts, but also enhances the integrity and precision of the overall structure.

Practical experience: A customer once wanted to fix the battery compartment with screws. We suggest changing it to an overall "battery tray" structure on the die-casting frame, with clips and heat dissipation fins designed on the side walls. Ultimately, 12 screws and one aluminum plate were omitted, the weight was reduced by over 50 grams, and the heat dissipation efficiency was even better. This "functional integration" mindset is the most efficient path for weight loss.

Iv. From Drawings to Mass Production: The Process Gates to Ensure Performance Consistency - No matter how good the design is, if it cannot be stably mass-produced, it is just empty talk on paper. The stability of low-pressure casting stems from the strict control over the entire process. The key lies in mold cooling and post-treatment.

The frame of the unmanned aerial vehicle is subject to complex forces. We will design independent cooling waterways at the key parts of the mold. Ensure that the cooling rate is consistent in each cycle to obtain a uniform metallographic structure. The heat treatment process after demolding is even more like a "safety lock" for performance. The solution treatment, quenching and aging processes must be customized according to the specific wall thickness and force conditions of the part.

A common misconception: Many customers pass the sample test when they receive it, but experience performance fluctuations during mass production. The problem often lies in the slight drift of raw materials and process parameters. Our approach is to establish a "process window monitoring system" to record the die-casting parameters of each batch in real time and associate them with the random mechanical property data of each batch of products. Only in this way can we ensure that the performance of the first piece and the 10,000th piece is exactly the same.

FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)1: Can the strength of low-pressure cast aluminum alloy parts really be comparable to that of machined parts?Answer: Absolutely possible. It can even surpass. Machined parts are cut from sheet or bar stock, and their strength depends on the raw materials. High-quality low-pressure castings, after undergoing optimized alloy formulas and precise heat treatment (such as T6), can achieve tensile strength and yield strength that meet or even exceed the standards of 6061-T6. The key lies in whether the complete process chain from casting to heat treatment has been mastered.

2. Q: For the research and development of small-batch and multi-model unmanned aerial vehicles, is the high mold cost of die-casting not cost-effective?Answer: This requires comprehensive calculation. If the annual demand is expected to exceed 1,000 sets, the single cost advantage of die-casting becomes very obvious. For the development of multiple models, we recommend adopting a "modular mold" design. By replacing some of the mold cores to adapt to a series of products of different sizes, the initial mold opening cost can be significantly reduced.

3. Q: Are the surface treatment options for die-castings limited? How effective is anodizing?Answer: Aluminum alloy die-castings are highly suitable for surface treatment. In addition to the common sandblasting and anodizing (which can present various colors), micro-arc oxidation and spraying can also be carried out. The key to the effect of anodizing lies in the surface quality of the casting and the silicon content. Using high-purity aluminum ingots and refining processes, our die-castings have a uniform and fine surface after anodizing, fully meeting the appearance requirements of high-end unmanned aerial vehicles.

To achieve a leap in the performance of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), it is necessary to start by being meticulous about the weight of the frame. Aluminum alloy die-castings, with their outstanding lightweight, high strength and design freedom, are becoming the mainstream choice in the industry.

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