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Guides for engineers specifying UAV parts
Written for the person who has to pick a material, a tolerance and a finish before the first quote lands.
- Quality
Oct 23, 2026Deburring and Edge Breaks on Machined Drone Parts | Guide
How to specify edge breaks and deburring on machined drone parts: break sizes, cross hole burrs, thread entries and why a vague sharp edge note costs money.
- Materials
Oct 19, 2026Copper Busbars and Brass Contacts in UAV Power Systems
Machining copper busbars and brass contacts for UAV power systems: conductivity, current per square millimetre, plating, bolted joints and aluminium contact.
- Cost
Oct 16, 2026Aluminium Plate vs Extrusion for Drone Frame Parts
Plate against extruded profile for drone frame parts: 6061 and 6063 strength, tolerance, die cost, waste, grain direction and anodising, with a decision table.
- Materials
Oct 11, 20262024 Aluminium in UAV Fittings: Strength vs Corrosion
When 2024 aluminium suits a UAV fitting: yield strength, fatigue and crack growth against 6061 and 7075, plus corrosion, carbon contact, anodising and stock.
- Materials
Oct 7, 202617-4 PH Stainless for Small Load-Bearing UAV Parts
When 17-4 PH stainless suits a small UAV part: heat treat conditions H900 to H1150, yield strength, distortion after ageing, machining order and corrosion care.
- Design
Sep 21, 2026UAV Component Machining: Specification Guide | uavmfg.com
A practical guide to specifying machined UAV parts: which features to tolerance, which material to pick, what finish to call out and what a quote should contain.
- Materials
Sep 20, 2026Titanium Grade 5 in UAV Parts: When It Pays | Guide
When titanium Grade 5 beats 7075 aluminium on an unmanned aircraft: load, heat, galvanic contact with carbon fibre, cost per gram saved and machining reality.
- Materials
Sep 17, 2026Aluminium and Carbon Fibre Joints on a UAV | Corrosion
Carbon fibre against aluminium is a galvanic cell. What that does to a drone frame, how quickly, and the five fixes that work on a machined fitting.
- Materials
Sep 14, 20266061 vs 7075 for Drone Frame Parts | Material Guide
The real differences between 6061-T6 and 7075-T6 on a UAV: strength, weight, corrosion, weldability, anodising and cost, with a part by part recommendation.
- Materials
Sep 13, 2026Anodising UAV Parts: Type II or Type III | Finishes
Type II against type III anodise on machined UAV parts: thickness, hardness, weight, colour, masking, and how much a hard anodised bore actually grows.
- Materials
Sep 10, 2026PEEK, POM and Nylon Parts on a UAV | Material Guide
PEEK, POM, PA66 and PTFE on machined UAV parts: temperature, stiffness, moisture, insulation and what each one costs to cut compared with aluminium.
- Design
Sep 7, 2026Design Machined Drone Parts for Weight | Practical Rules
Wall thickness, pocket geometry, corner radii and fastener bosses on machined UAV parts, and the limits that decide how much weight you can really remove.
- Materials
Sep 6, 2026Agricultural Drone Parts: Stainless or Aluminium | Guide
Fertiliser and pesticide attack aluminium fast. Which agricultural drone parts justify stainless steel, which need a coating, and what the weight costs you.
- Design
Sep 3, 2026Drone Motor Mount Machining and Tolerances | Guide
Bolt circle position, face flatness, shaft clearance and stack height on machined drone motor mounts, with the tolerances that matter and the ones that do not.
- Design
Aug 30, 2026Gimbal Bracket Machining on 5 Axis | Design Guide
Bearing seats, motor faces and squareness on machined UAV gimbal brackets, why 5 axis in one setup matters, and the tolerances a stabilised camera needs.
- Design
Aug 27, 2026Boom Clamp Fit on a Carbon Tube | Machining Guide
Carbon tubes run undersize and out of round. How to dimension a machined boom clamp so it grips without crushing, and what bore to ask for on the drawing.
- Design
Aug 23, 2026Threaded Inserts in Thin UAV Plates | Design Guide
Thread engagement, boss design and insert options for machined UAV plates, so a field serviced drone does not strip an M3 hole on its fourth assembly.
- Design
Aug 20, 2026Vibration Damping Mounts for UAV Payloads | Design
Isolator seats, mass ratios, flat bonded faces and the machining details that decide whether a UAV damping mount actually keeps motor vibration out of a sensor.
- Design
Aug 16, 2026Sealed UAV Enclosures and O-Ring Grooves | Guide
O-ring groove dimensions, squeeze, surface finish and venting on machined UAV enclosures, and why most IP rating failures are groove problems not seal problems.
- Design
Aug 13, 2026Heat Sinks and Cold Plates for UAV Electronics | Guide
Machined heat sinks and cold plates for drone electronics: fin geometry, flatness under a chip, interface material, and why 6061 beats 7075 for thermal parts.
- Design
Aug 9, 2026Drone Landing Gear Parts and Impact Loads | Design
Leg clamps, feet, hinges and the load path on machined UAV landing gear, including why a sacrificial part is better engineering than a stronger airframe.
- Quality
Aug 6, 2026First Article Inspection on UAV Parts | Quality Guide
How first article inspection works on machined drone parts, what belongs in the report, when to ask for a new one, and how to read one without a metrology team.
- Quality
Aug 2, 2026How to Read a CMM Report on Machined Parts | Guide
Datums, true position, profile and form on a CMM report for machined UAV parts, what the numbers mean and which ones tell you a process is drifting.
- Quality
Jul 30, 2026Surface Finish on UAV Parts: Ra Explained | Guide
What Ra means on a machined drone part, which surfaces need a finish call out, what each value costs and why a polished part is rarely the right answer.
- Quality
Jul 26, 2026Country of Origin Papers for Drone Parts | Buyer Guide
Mill certificates, certificates of origin, traceability and supplier declarations on machined drone components, and what each document does and does not prove.
- Cost
Jul 23, 2026Drone Parts from Prototype to Production | Guide
What changes when a machined UAV part goes from prototype to production: fixturing, tolerances, finishing, documents, price breaks and what to freeze.
- Cost
Jul 19, 2026What Drives the Cost of a Machined Drone Part | Guide
Setup, cycle time, tolerances, finishing and material on a machined drone part, with the design changes that cut cost without changing how the part works.
- Cost
Jul 16, 2026Choosing a Machining Supplier for a UAV Programme | Guide
How to evaluate a CNC supplier for drone components: capability, inspection, documents, communication, capacity and the answers that should worry you.