How Aalto University 3D Printed Drone Parts on UltiMaker S6

For UAV builders, every design choice is a trade-off between weight, strength, and lead time. Aalto University's Design Factory team faced all three at once. They had to mount thermal and RGB cameras to a drone built for detecting plastic landmines in conflict zones. The bracket had to be light. It had to resist vibration. And it had to be ready in days, not weeks.

The team partnered with sculptor and PrintShop Master Erwin Laiho. They turned to additive manufacturing for the answer.

Why standard tooling did not fit the job

Conventional tooling was off the table. The drone's shape was bespoke. The timeline was short. The cameras needed a custom-fit cradle no off-the-shelf bracket could deliver. Outsourcing the part would have added cost, lead time, and outside dependency on every iteration.

Drone parts need three things at once: low weight, high stiffness, and steadiness under in-flight vibration. Most FDM filaments fall short on stiffness and vibration. The team needed a printer and a filament built for all three.

The UltiMaker S6 and PET CF carbon fibre combination

PET CF is a 3D printing filament made from polyethylene terephthalate and chopped carbon fibres. It is stiff, light, and stable under load. Those traits suit drone frames, brackets, and any part where rigidity matters more than bulk.

The team paired PET CF carbon fibre with the UltiMaker S6. The printer handles engineering-grade composite filaments. It runs long jobs without supervision. It pairs with UltiMaker Cura for fine slicing control. The UltiMaker S6 overview covers the full specifications.

From ten hours to three hours twelve minutes

The team tuned the design and the slice profile in UltiMaker Cura. A single print cycle dropped from ten hours to three hours and twelve minutes. That is a 65% cut. Against earlier UltiMaker models, the printer ran nearly twice as fast on the same job. Surface quality stayed clean across iterations. Dimensional accuracy held to within a millimetre of true, which matters when a bracket has to line up two cameras.

The final 3D printed drone bracket has two parts: a structural frame and a protective cover plate. Together they hold the cameras steady in flight. They dampen vibration for cleaner footage. They shield the optics from dust and impact.

What this means for Australian manufacturers of 3D printed drone parts

Australian teams in defence, agriculture, and inspection are quietly building UAV programs of their own. The Aalto example shows you do not need an industrial composites lab to make flight-ready parts. For the wider story of Aalto's Design Factory and how the lab runs day-to-day, see our Aalto Design Factory case study. A reliable benchtop FDM printer with a carbon fibre filament replaces short-run tooling for jigs, fixtures, and 3D printed drone parts.

The same approach applies beyond drones. Apria Systems used the same printer to bring custom environmental-monitoring parts in-house. Their Apria Systems case study shows how rapid manufacturing 3D printing took their prototyping cycles from weeks to days.

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Frequently asked questions

Can you 3D print functional drone parts?

Yes. With the right filament and a printer rated for engineering applications, 3D printed drone parts perform as flight-ready components. Carbon fibre composites such as PET CF deliver the rigidity and weight profile UAVs need.

What is PET CF filament?

PET CF is a 3D printing filament made from polyethylene terephthalate reinforced with chopped carbon fibres. It is stiff, light, and dimensionally stable under load. Common applications include UAV brackets, robotics arms, and end-use jigs.

Is the UltiMaker S6 suitable for engineering applications?

Yes. The S6 supports composite and engineering-grade filaments, runs long unattended jobs, and pairs with UltiMaker Cura for precise slicing. It is built for prototyping, fixtures, and end-use parts in manufacturing and research.

Does carbon fibre filament reduce drone weight?

Yes. Carbon fibre reinforced filaments give a much higher stiffness-to-weight ratio than standard PLA or PETG. For 3D printed drone parts, the bracket stays rigid under flight loads while the airframe stays as light as possible.

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Bring your own UAV parts production in-house

The Aalto team showed what is possible when you pair a capable benchtop printer with the right composite filament. If you build drone hardware, defence prototypes, or precision UAV components in Australia, the same workflow is yours to run. Get in touch with our team to talk through the UltiMaker S6 and PET CF for your next project.

Want to view the full UltiMaker range? Click here.

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3D Printer 3D Printer Materials 3D Printers additive manufacturing Manufacturing UltiMaker Ultimaker Cura Ultimaker PET CF Ultimaker s6