The standard strength test of 3D printing materials and its application for UAV propellers

This study investigates the possibility analysis of UAV propeller made by commercial 3D printing machine. The primary experimental facility is 3D printer based on Fused Deposition Modeling method (FDM). The main methodology of this work is to construct standard test piece according to ASTM standard and use for standard test. The Polylactic Acid (PLA) and carbon fiber composite material are the main two printing materials in this work. Experimental results reveal that the strength and bending of these two materials are enough to be the propeller of middle size UAV, especially the carbon fiber composite material. This study not only confirms the application possibility of UAV propeller made by 3D printing, but also carries out the real flight test to identify performance enhancement and future application.