DUSTER – the biggest 3D printed drone

DUSTER is the biggest drone in the world, printed in FDM technology. The project was created by BigRep from Berlin. It was reinforced with carbon threads. DUSTER was 3D printed with a huge 3D printerBigRep ONE With dimensions of 220x190x60cm. The drone’s copter frame is designed to accommodate eight electric motors, each with up to 3,8kW. The load capacity of the DUSTER is to 60kg. If this full capacity is utilized, the flight time is to forty minutes; with the use of further batteries it can be extended up to seventy minutes. BigRep is presenting the drone publicly for the first time at the Hannover Messe from  April 25 to 29, 2016.

The drone nicknamed DUSTER is officially called OIC Copter System # 42 OT. The “OT” stands for “organic tensegrity” and describes both the organic design of the 3D printed components that form the core of the copter frame, as well as the carbon threads absorbing the frame’s tension – both while the drone is stationary and in flight. The combination of the thin-walled, hollow 3D printed parts and the carbon threads is essential for the stability and function of a ultra-light drone of this size.

The company BigRep comes from Berlin and it was founded in 2014, the company became the market and technological leader for large-scale serial 3D printing in only 18 months, aiming to revolutionize design and prototyping. With a volume of more than 1m³, BigRep ONE is the largest FFF (Fused Filament Fabrication) printer currently available on the world market, thus bridging the gap between 3D printers designed for modelling and industrial use. The BigRep ONE.2 received the German Design Award Gold 2016 by the German Design Council in October 2015. DUSTER was developed in cooperation with the drone specialist Robert Reichert of OiC Drones, the first full-service drone provider.

Without the BigRep ONE, producing a drone of this size would not have been possible. Large-scale 3D printing allows us to think of completely new dimensions when it comes to building drones. I am very proud to have been involved in the development of DUSTER, since this drone has established a completely new benchmark.

Robert Reichert,OiC Drones

The 3D printed copter frame for the DUSTER is very versatile as a platform and is among other things particularly suitable for use in the industrial and agriculture sectors. In the latter, the drone could be utilized for a controlled, semi-autonomous delivery of fertilizers and biological pesticides.

Source: press release