Building Robust Drone Manufacturing and Supply Chain Capabilities in the USA
Avoid drone design and production issues while saving time and money whether you build in-house or source EMS manufacturing services. Includes multiple links to support articles and resources that help vendors and suppliers become more proficient solving problems facing drone manufacturers.
The U.S. Pacific Northwest is home to innovative mixed technologies manufacturing. This has been driven considerably by US government spending, particularly for military and defense programs.
Most of my readers know, depending on the target industry or market, creating successful electronics industry and manufacturing hubs requires lots of industry- and market-specific supply chain vendors and suppliers to be located nearby. You see first-hand why this ecosystem-moat combo builds your confidence you can get your work done. You also see how it helps attract, develop and retain regional commerce and grow government tax receipts.
Contrary to what many might know today, China still remains the world center for electronics manufacturing of components and assemblies. For drone manufacturers, you probably already know much of the technology and many parts used in the production and manufacturing of drones comes from China.
Drone Technology Origin vs Country of Manufacture
In fact, the world's largest drone manufacturer is DJI and it is headquartered in Shenzhen, China. China built a successful ecosystem for its drone industry.
Closing the Gap in US Drone Manufacturing Supply Chains
I'm familiar with enough drone manufacturing programs to have a good idea about what's important. This article can serve as a knowledge resource or guide for U.S. drone manufacturers and vendors and suppliers serving U.S. drone manufacturing companies so all parties can prosper.
For drone manufacturers focused on achieving competitive target pricing of their products through reduction of your operating overhead costs through outsourcing, matching your program's technical and manufacturing requirements with your CM or defense prime will always be on your short list of 'must haves'.
Drone design and manufacturing requires specialization. Specialization is key when identifying supply chain partners for niche industries. When done properly, together, you can boost productivity enormously. This has been known for years and was first put into context in Adam Smith’s 1776 opus, An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations - better known as - The Wealth of Nations.
Drone, UAV, UAS. What’s The Difference?
Drone
By its simplest definition a drone can be defined as any vehicle that can be controlled or piloted without a pilot or ‘driver’ inside it. Categorizing a drone is not limited to something that becomes mobile and flies in the air. Drone can also be applied to vehicles that move on land and in water where mobility is also without a driver inside the vehicle.
Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV)
UAV refers to a vehicle or aircraft that takes to the air and can fly remotely or autonomously.
One main distinction between drones and UAVs is not every drone is a UAV whereas every UAV can be a drone. UAV also takes into consideration the entirety of the vehicle – the aircraft itself.
Unmanned Aerial System (UAS)
UAS refers to elements within and associated with the vehicle enabling it to perform or fly. These include control computers for flight (and auto pilot), mission computers and control stations, other aviation and avionics hardware and the perhaps input from person(s) manipulating the ground control module, software and communications systems, navigation systems and GPS modules, cameras and transmission systems, and assemblies, subassemblies, electro-mechanical systems, components. You get the idea.
Drone systems can be designed for long endurance flight vehicles whereas some drones may contain hydrogen fuel cells or be gas hybrid or tethered depending on the UAV capabilities customers and the purpose the drone is selected for.
Training and piloting skill also fall into the UAS category.
Drone Design and Components Considerations
Drone electronics product design, whether it's for consumer or military drones, or large agricultural machinery, or embedded electronics inside automobile cabins... trend toward higher degrees of functionality and smaller footprint.
This combination, especially when combined with new and evolving material composites plus, fit/form/function requirements, offer a lot of new opportunities for drone engineers and customers.
Drone design considerations are especially important for military aviation and space applications where lightweight and small footprints and energy consumption are closely tied together.
Add to this, how drone systems perform is also related to available bandwidth and processing power. As processors become more powerful drone engineers have to take into consideration high-speed and board-level interconnects. Size constraints here can boost engineering ability to achieve higher connector contact densities supporting optical interconnects and RF – at the circuit board level.
Add to this, drone circuit boards are often crammed with components with an abnormally high number of connector pins necessary for the equally high number of external signals. Finding this balance between drone technical specs and pushing physical hardware constraints is not easy for drone engineers to accomplish.
Altitude
Drones designed to achieve higher altitudes need different component requirements. For example, electrolytic capacitors are not good. Electrolytes are liquid, or gel, with a high concentration of ions. Lower atmospheric pressure at higher altitudes can be problematic because electrolytic capacitors will expand and leak causing the capacitor to fail. In addition to a limited lifetime electrolytic capacitors also have large value tolerances.
At the printed circuit board (PCB) level wider route trace spacing is often needed for higher voltage signals especially as arc potential increases in lower pressure environments above 20,000 feet. Drone designers enjoy figuring out challenges posed by trace routing, giving designers opportunity to solve sometimes as complicated and unique puzzles, especially as board design functional complexity increases with smaller footprints.
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About
What matters when formulating contract electronic strategy? How do you identify supplier profit centers and what are you doing to protect against margin erosion for your outsourcing programs? Why do provider capabilities often not match capabilities they claim? How are you benchmarking your supply chain against competitors?
I’ve spent 25+ years in contract electronics industry setting up contract electronic divisions and running operations, protecting EMS program profits, manufacturing capacity M&A and more. I run a technology solutions firm. A lot of times this means asking the right questions.
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Drones achieving varying altitudes during flight will also experience hot and cold cycles with temperature fluctuations. Drone electronics and sub-systems with conformal coating applied on top of circuit boards and components helps guard against altitude cycling failure because conformal coating lets any air trapped beneath ICs expand at higher altitudes.
One way CMs, defense primes or EMS manufacturers might help drone manufacturers minimize this risk is applying ‘coatings’ in a low-pressure chamber. This helps remove air voids trapped underneath parts and components.
Temperature
The operating temperature range a lot of drone motors typically operate within is similar to automotive engines, -40C to +80C, although a good percentage of drones on the market today, by volume, are more likely to operate in the higher end of this range vs the lower end. Power design for the ideal drone is able to cover a broad range while being dependent on market vertical and customer needs.
From a PCB designer perspective, larger boards are usually easier to keep from overheating but smaller boards, while not always as thermal-friendly, are more aligned with many drone manufacturers' packaging and enclosure consideration. I write more space efficiency and portability, below.
Sensor technology
Sensor technology is becoming more intelligent and drones using this provide user benefits like avoiding, or targeting, air and land objects achieved by hovering and maneuvering with help from sensors. As an example, digital barometric pressure sensors allow drones to perceive altitude and to stabilize. Precision drone flight using sensor technology is further aided by a drone's gyroscope and accelerometer.
Some other common drone sensor technologies used today calculate and measure humidity (atmospheric and drone internal) and drone position.
Drones processing atmospheric info can be attributed directly to success in some applications like as agricultural spraying. As an agricultural drone travels faster its spraying application requires even distribution while not over-spraying which can result in costly waste and application levels higher than wanted.
Drones able to sense atmospheric data tied to airspeed can also compensate for changes in lift force and drag force, which impacts rate and volume of application.
Drones deploying measurement technologies using mounted sensors on PCBs will depend on printed wiring board, drone configuration and space limitations for each decided on by PCB and drone designers.
Shielding and low EMI layouts
Most drones will have some type of communications signal, while most electronics are prone to radio frequency interference (RFI) or electromagnetic interference (EMI), which can decrease circuit performance or even cause failure. Good drone designers work on programs while being aware electromagnetic fields can easily disrupt electronics systems, in various ways, with just small voltages and currents.
Add to this, advancing technologies in data processing and communications are introducing increasingly higher levels of interference to the electromagnetic wave spectrum, in addition to other problems like solar flares and lightning strikes. Some effects of EMI include:
· Electronic circuit damage or failure
· Electric shock and burns
· Power fluctuations and power outage
· Unusual or jammed signals received by communications devices
As drone manufacturers that source design and manufacturing expertise with CMs, you want to formulate and execute extended manufacturing supply chains with contract EMS manufacturing partners that are familiar with drone performance risks related to circuit board layers (stacks) and board and components layout requirements, knowing drone sub-assembly and systems electronics can be subject to conducted and radiated EMI from high-power RF communications transceivers.
Equally important for drone manufacturers, is selecting EMS providers who understand the importance of shielding parts of drone assemblies against communication disruptive radio frequencies (RF) and, can comprehend the importance of keeping the airwaves clear for intended (target) communication signals for optimum drone reliability and performance.
It is here that drone design engineers while working closely EMS engineers, can incorporate RF shields where drone design and performance dictate, to combat communications interference.
Some additional design considerations, among others, include deciding on fixed-wing versus single-rotor and multi-rotor drones. Here, the relative importance or weighted value of lift is key.
Is vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) necessary? Or, is a hybrid electric propulsion system that allows the drone to amplify power capability by a factor of 5x to 10x+, versus multi-rotor drones (commonly used for intermediate and heavy lifting) with batter power a more logical preference?
For drone designers fulfilling a requirement to support various payloads, depending on customer needs intermediate lift multi-rotor (ILM) and heavy lift multi-rotor (HLM) drones, today, seem to offer the widest range of performance and mission capabilities concerning lift. It all depends on desired performance specs and market demand fulfillment.
Connectors
Drone assemblies and the systems inside drone enclosures are usually subject to external and internal systems forces and changes to environments. Designing with critical thinking combined with planning against as many known and unforeseen challenges is key to achieving drone performance to desired specs and drone market relevance, and marketplace longevity.
Drone designers and their employers and drone buyers and operators all want to minimize chances for field failures.
In the manufacture and electronic assembly of drones problems can happen on drone production assembly lines whether manufacturing is in-house or outsourced. To help manage against this and to improve production assembly efficiency when seating electronic cable connection terminals, secondary locking and power double lock (PDL) connectors offer some insurance to drone performance.
One way drone designers can achieve this is by choosing adequate connectors and robust cables and cable assemblies, and related electronics and corresponding systems connectors. Some connector selection criteria drone designers consider early on, include, but are not limited to:
· Audible click upon contact, insuring contact is made within connector housing
· PDL (power double lock) connection
· Proper connector mating, with adequate guides or polarizing ribs
· Ability to withstand resin or conformal coatings
· Designed for power circuit applications
· Corrosion-resistant
· UL recognized, VDE approved, and CSA certified
For military or aerospace ops technology, a common connector and one of the smallest, is the circular connector. Based on their size, weight, and power (SWaP) versatility circular connectors can help drone engineers solve a number of different challenges. Circular connectors come in various sizes including subminiature and include a bunch of different coupling types like breech-lock, bayonet, and threaded.
Mark Zetter
Other suitable drone connector considerations might be based on drone operating environment or material and plating options, or connector seals able to withstand liquid or rain or gas penetration. Other connector considerations might include protection against humidity and dust or other possible contaminants.
Drones, in general, are also subject to high vibration and often varying and very harsh environments. Choosing the right connector can be the difference between a system’s link being strong or weak.
Durability
For durability, drone manufacturers balance strength of materials used in manufacturing the drone against weight requirements, ideally, without compromising overall performance objectives.
Will the drone withstand hard landings or dropping? Can it withstand rough handling? Can the drone perform in a wide range of environmental conditions?
Drone features and functionality considerations
The following desires and criteria I mention in this section vary based on your company's target market and business use case and end-user goals and objectives and are worth considering early, at the start of your drone programs.
I want to emphasize the importance of timeliness when you are investing good money to EMS manufacturers for costly, higher margin (front-end) design services.
Hand launching
Drones designed for hand launching bring with them their own set of challenges. Is the drone susceptible to a low stall speed? Is the drone energy source or propellant positioned in a manner so the user does not risk injury when launching?
Drones that are hand launched are usually fixed-wing while others are hybrid – able to be launched by hand or achieve a vertical launch. Designing for either, or both, can impact other decisions such as choice of materials, drone footprint, portability...
Mark Zetter
Good drone design incorporates for real-world conditions and variability. Hand launches are optimal where a clear drone runway is not accessible. Depending on the circumstances, drone launch sites can also be easily compromised or delicate, such as being under attack, depending on the drone's use case or mission.
Hand launched drones usually include high-powered energy sources which are typically designed for the front of the drone.
Autonomous
Full autonomy drones leverage a bunch of different degrees of artificial intelligence. Autonomous drones add a valuable range of benefits to consumer, commercial and government users. Autonomous drones can allow for further distance like military missions and combat theater ops while adding a degree of operator safety.
Payload integration
Drones designed to carry payloads come with a ‘range’ for payload weight allowed where the drone is still deemed operational. Having the ability for your users to exchange a payload mounting system is an added benefit where top payload weight restrictions might impact drone functionality. Interchangeable payload systems that can be exchanged or easily upgraded in the field by a single operator are an added benefit to drones with payload integrations.
Maintenance and repair
Like a lot of other mechanical and electronics systems and devices most drones also need some maintenance and sometimes repair. Scheduled drone maintenance vs priority repairs due to unforeseen consequences are two different matters. The reasons and procedural objectives can vary.
Drones designed with easy access to moving parts and components and systems access to critical parts and assemblies lets drone users easily evaluate and inspect and maintain the drone. Many drone manufacturers today will include maintenance support with manufacturer service plans into final product sale price or as an additional PO line item.
As you design its in the best interest of drone designers to research reasons for drone maintenance and anticipate potential ‘types of repairs’ based on intended use and the environment the drone is being designed for to try to capture as many known and possibly unforeseen circumstances.
Cost and affordability
Does the drone system come assembled as a ready-to-fly system or is the drone in a kit that needs assembly? Is it easy to assembly by buyers or is an additional fee required if training is need for assembly? Is factory training available or required for learning how to fly and operate the drone? Are there special registrations, licensing or taxation fees that need to be considered?
Space efficiency and portability
Drones come in all sizes. Space efficiency can be extended into various physical aspects of a drone, UAV, and UAS such as wingspan or fuselage length, miniaturization of components, increasing layer count for multi layer circuit boards (again, trend to smaller footprint, increasing functionality), increasing components specs (functionality), thus perhaps need fewer components, thereby, smaller board footprint… These are just a sample of many decisions and factors that can further drive drone space efficiency.
EMS Manufacturing and Technical Concerns
Increasing technology innovation drives a degree of constant evolution how drones are designed and function. This evolution pushes the envelope how drones are used with new applications surfacing regularly. From this point forward I suggest ways drone manufacturers can work with EMS providers through the quote pricing process and ways vendors and suppliers might achieve mutual business success with their drone customers.