Case Study: Festo achieves ultra-light autonomous swarm flight with EOS 3D printing

Festo reduces BionicBee frame weight by 75% with EOS

The customer, Festo, faced the challenge of creating an ultra-lightweight and durable frame for its BionicBee drone to enable autonomous swarm flight. Conventional manufacturing methods could not produce the intricate, fine geometries required without compromising on robustness. Festo partnered with vendor EOS GmbH and utilized their FORMIGA P 110 FDR 3D printing system and PA 1101 material to overcome these design and production limitations.

The solution implemented by EOS, via production partner 1zu1, enabled the creation of a complex lattice structure that dramatically reduced the frame's weight by 75%, from 12 grams to just 3 grams, without sacrificing stability. This weight reduction was crucial for the drone's agility and flight duration. The result was a successful demonstration of a fully synchronized autonomous swarm flight with 20 BionicBee units, showcasing the impact of EOS's high-resolution additive manufacturing technology.

Festo