Case Study: Gossamer achieves rapid prototyping to build Teal, the world’s fastest production drone, with MakerBot

Better, Faster Ways to Develop and Refine Ideas with MakerBot

GOSSAMER, a Dallas-based hardware development firm, faced the challenge of developing Teal, the world’s fastest production drone: a fully modular, durable design with organic shapes and millimeter-level fit that would be costly and slow to produce via machining or outsourcing. To speed ideation and physical testing, GOSSAMER bought a MakerBot Replicator 3D Printer (later upgrading with the Smart Extruder+ and early access to the Replicator+).

MakerBot enabled GOSSAMER to 3D print high-quality prototypes in hours rather than days or weeks, integrate rapid iteration into their workflow, and avoid outsourcing costs—prints included the upper and lower shrouds, battery case, center frame and arms. Using MakerBot, GOSSAMER finalized Teal’s prototype in months, reported the printers “paid for themselves several times over,” and delivered a modular, ready-for-manufacturing drone capable of over 70 mph.

GOSSAMER

Chris Hsiao

Founder and Principal