Time critical, durable, flight-ready components

Drone 3D Printing

3D Printing with Powder Bed Fusion is Redefining Drone Manufacturing!

Strong, lightweight, flight-ready part manufacture

Unlock lighter, stronger, and more efficient drones with industrial MJF and SLS 3D printing. Powder bed fusion (PBF) technologies are reshaping how the UAV industry designs, prototypes, and manufactures high-performance components -enabling complexity, durability, and customisation at production scale.

We support the entire journey from early prototyping through to full-scale production. With the UK’s largest fleet of MJF and SLS machines, we’re equipped to manufacture many thousands of functional components every day. Trusted by leading drone and defence companies, we’re equipped to deliver quickly and reliably at every stage and scale across the UK and beyond.

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Key Benefits of PBF in Drone Manufacturing

Lightweight & Strong Components
Nylon (PA12) allow SLS and MJF to produce parts that are both lightweight and stress-resistant - critical for flight performance and payload capacity.

Ideal for aerodynamically demanding components such as propeller guards, camera mounts, and protective housings.

 

No Support Structures Needed
Unlike other methods, MJF/SLS does not require support structures, enabling the creation of complex geometries with internal channels, lattices, and undercuts.

 

High Precision & Fine DetailsSLS and MJF offer high resolution and surface quality suitable for both functional prototypes and end-use parts in series production.

Material Efficiency
Components are printed with minimal waste, unlike traditional manufacturing (e.g., milling or injection moulding), which leads to significant material loss.

Reduced part weight improves flight time and energy efficiency, especially for drones covering long distances or carrying heavy loads.

City St George University of London's winning drone

Material: MJF NYLON PA12
Finishing: Dyed Black + Shot Peened

City St George University of London's winning drone for entry into the NATO Sapience Competition

Run under NATO's Science for Peace and Security Programme, the competition is designed to innovate the field of autonomous drones over three competitions. The first competition was held in City St George's Autonomous Systems Arena, and the aim was to design and build a multi-agent autonomous system that would map an indoor environment, locate a number of objects, and perform deliveries to detected casualties all while operating in a GPS-denied environment. Four universities from across NATO members and NATO partner countries were invited to take part in this program.

The drone is controlled by a Jetson Orin Nano control board and a Pixhawk 4 flight control unit and uses two RGBD cameras and a Velodyne-16 Lidar for sensor input. This drone utilised AI that was trained using Deep Reinforcement Learning for navigation and obstacle avoidance while using the Lidar for the odometry and mapping. An AI using a Graph Convolutional Neural Network optimised task allocation for the cooperative element of the competition. This drone's use of fully autonomous AI systems convinced the judges to award City St George first place.

Airial UAS (Unscrewed Aircraft Systems)

Airial uas 3d printed drone prototype - 3dprintuk
3d printed drone body in mjf nylon 12
3d printed drone body internals 3d printed in mjf nylon 12

Airial UAS is a European developer of advanced industrial uncrewed aircraft systems designed for complex, mission‑critical applications. Their flagship platforms feature a hybrid gyrocopter‑helicopter design, enabling efficient long‑range flight, VTOL capability, and high safety standards aligned with aviation regulations.

The company takes a holistic systems approach, encompassing aircraft, sensor payloads, ground control, and automated hangar solutions to support demanding operations such as BVLOS missions, infrastructure inspection, and all‑weather, day‑and‑night deployments.

Prototype body printed in MJF

Approx aircraft body size: 870mm - printed in multiple parts.

Manufacturing partner to the drone Industry

Low cost part manufacture. No tooling, Volume price breaks.

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Average 20% lower manufacturing costs for MJF Nylon PA12 parts.

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Up to 50% price reduction on specific geometries and order quantities.

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Increased discounts for higher quantities, making large-scale AM more competitive.

View our full pricing structure for more information

Ready to Build Better Drones? Choose how you would like to start.

Upload a file - Get an instant quote.

Our custom built Uploading System takes the price breaks into consideration and is the fastest way to get a quote for your project.

Book a meeting with one of our specialists

Questions about manufacturing drone parts? Speak with Danny or Marc from our customer support team for expert advice to ensure your printing process is seamless and successful.

First order? - Get £60 free account credit

For a limited time, we're giving new customers £60 in free credit to experience our high-quality, 3D printing service! Go from your CAD model to prototype in as little as 3 days. Our service is trusted by 10,000+ businesses worldwide, perfect for rapid prototyping & high-volume batch manufacture.

Real businesses, Real people!
Experience our service from our customers.

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Questions about MJF 3D Printer? Speak with Danny or Marc from our customer support team for expert advice to ensure your printing process is seamless and successful.

FAQ's