3D-Printed Tools for Lightweight Construction: Student Project Impresses at International Drone Competition

At the UAS Challenge 2025 in the United Kingdom, a student development team demonstrated the role additive manufacturing now plays in demanding lightweight construction. The drone O.L.I.V.I.A., developed by Fly-Mi EUROAVIA Milano, a student initiative of the Politecnico di Milano, achieved third place overall. The project was once again supported by the Italian materials manufacturer Xenia Materials, which had already been involved in a predecessor project the previous year.

The competition, known as the UAS Challenge, calls for autonomous aerial vehicles designed for humanitarian mission scenarios. O.L.I.V.I.A. is designed as a fixed-wing aircraft with a V-tail and a high-mounted wing and is capable of carrying out missions fully autonomously. The drone transports payloads of up to 1.75 kilograms and relies on redundant power supply as well as dual communication and positioning systems, which particularly impressed the jury with regard to operational safety.

A key technical challenge lay in the production of precise molds for the carbon-fiber-reinforced wings. Additively manufactured tools made from the 3D-printable polycarbonate XECARB 40-C20-3DP, reinforced with 20 percent carbon fibers, were used for this purpose. According to Xenia Materials, the material offers high thermal stability and dimensional accuracy, which are crucial for autoclave processes. The printed molds withstood several cycles at 120 degrees Celsius and around two bar of pressure without warping.

“Xenia’s XECARB 40-C20-3DP material allowed us to create moulds that were precise, strong and easy to work with during the autoclave lamination process” said the Fly-Mi EUROAVIA Milano team. “Having reliable moulds was crucial to achieving the aerodynamic performance and structural quality needed for O.L.I.V.I.A., and it played a major role in helping us secure third place in the competition.”

The Fly-Mi team emphasizes that the combination of 3D printing and conventional fiber-reinforced composite manufacturing made a significant contribution to the aerodynamic quality of the wings. The ability to quickly adapt tools and precisely post-process them shortened development times and improved reproducibility.

The collaboration shows how additive manufacturing can be used beyond prototyping, even in highly stressed toolmaking applications. At the same time, the project highlights the growing importance of practice-oriented materials research and student development work in aerospace engineering.