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Defense Drone & UAV Manufacturing for Prototyping and Production
Lower risk, stay compliant, move faster and deliver confidently on mission critical deadlines
Certification + Compliance
ISO 9001:2015 | AS9100D | ITAR
How Defense Drone & UAV Teams Use Protolabs
Speed & Rapid Prototyping
Instant quotes with manufacturability feedback help refine designs early and move quickly through prototyping cycles.
End-to-End Product Development
Support for iterative development and low-volume builds, with applications engineers helping meet end-use requirements when you’re ready.
Precision & Repeatability
Get production-grade parts in CNC, 3D printing, molding and sheet metal delivered in days and keep workflows moving to hit mission critical deadlines.
Quality + Traceability with Domestic Manufacturing
Take advantage of our U.S.-based AS9100- and ISO9001-certified machining and 3D printing facilities for high-requirement parts. Aluminum traceability is also available on qualifying projects.
High-mix, Low-volume Manufacturing
Flexibility for diverse part needs and programs with many unique components in small quantities across evolving mission profiles.
| We are the fastest and most comprehensive digital manufacturer in the industry with more than 25 years of experience developing products for innovative aerospace companies around the world. | #1 Partner for Defense Drone Manufacturers |
700 Million Parts Manufactured in the U.S. |
100% Of Fortune 500 Aerospace Companies Served |
Full Production Support Team
| Our manufacturing experts handle your production order from start to finish, keeping workflows moving and updating you at each step. |
Account Manager
A dedicated account manager provides support, including assistance with platform and file uploads.
Applications Engineers
Expert CAD solutions and cost-reduction strategies tailored by in-house applications engineers to optimize your designs.
Logistics
Seamless logistics fulfillment and efficiency optimization from experienced operations specialists.
Quality Control
Our skilled expert on-site quality control teams ensure your parts meet your expectations and exact specifications.
Innovative Drone Development
| Many cutting-edge drone developers partner with Protolabs for defense, search-and-rescue, delivery, and even transportation applications. Amazon’s Prime Air drone team tapped into Protolabs’ quick-turn metal 3D printing and machining services for end-use production parts in the company’s advanced delivery drones. |
Manufacturing Services for Defense Drone & UAV Products
CNC Machining
Our machining capabilities are unmatched. Our in-house, US-based factory provides fast and reliable local solutions, and our network of global and domestic manufacturing partners expands our machining capabilities with competitive pricing at higher volumes and tighter tolerances with greater material and finishing selections for end-use parts.
- Machined parts in as fast as 1 day with optional plating and anodizing in as fast as 5 days
- Cost-efficient machined parts at higher volumes
- Tolerances down to ±0.001 in. (0.020mm) through our digital network
3D Printing
Want quality parts and additive expertise at a single 3D printing source? Choose from seven different additive manufacturing technologies for cost-effective prototyping and highly precise, repeatable production parts.
- Additive technologies include metal 3D printing, SLA, SLS, FDM, and more
- 30 plastic and metal materials in a range of finishes
- 25 years of additive manufacturing expertise
Sheet Metal Fabrication
From easy quoting to quick-turn production and finishing options, get up to 500 quality sheet metal parts in your hands in days from a single supplier.
- Instant quotes with interactive manufacturability feedback
- Six sheet metal materials including aluminum, stainless steel, steel, brass, and copper
- Finishing options from welding and hardware insertion to powder coating and silk screening
Injection Molding
Produce high-quality molded parts and bridge tooling in days. Free moldability consultation saves you time and money during the design and tooling process.
- Low-volume molding up to 100,000+ parts with volume pricing available—no MOQ required
- 100+ plastic, elastomeric, and silicone rubber materials
- Accepting customer-supplied resin to meet customer requirements
- Automated CMM for fast, in-house quality documentation
Quality Measures for Drone & UAV Components
Our industry-standard procedures and certifications guarantee quality and regulatory compliance.
| CMM inspection report | First Article Inspection (FAI) |
| Dimensional Inspection Report (DIR) | PPAP |
| Material Certificates + Certificate of Analysis | Conflict Minerals Reporting |
| REACH + RoHS Certificates | Prop65 |
| Industry Certifications: ISO 9001 and AS 9100 | Certificate of Conformance (CoC) |
| Industry Certifications (Protolabs Network): ISO 13485, ISO 14001, ISO 45001, and ISO TS16949 | |
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Materials for Defense Drone & UAV Components
Titanium
Available through machining and metal 3d printing services, this lightweight and strong material offers excellent corrosion and temperature resistance.
Aluminum
This metal’s high strength-to-weight ratio makes it a good candidate for housing and brackets that must support high loading. Aluminum is available for both machined and 3D-printed parts.
Stainless Steel
SS 17-4 PH is widely used in the aerospace industry due to its high strength, good corrosion resistance, and good mechanical properties at temperatures up to 600°F.
Polycarbonate
This strong and extremely impact-resistant thermoplastic has a low shrink and good dimensional stability. It’s a transparent plastic that is available in optically clear grades, which works well for transparent covers and housings.
Nylons
3D print and mold functional prototypes in several nylon materials available through Selective Laser Sintering, Multi Jet Fusion and Injection Molding. Mineral- and glass-filled nylons improve mechanical properties when needed.
High-Temp Plastics
PEEK and PEI (Ultem) offer high-temperature resistance, creep resistance, and are suited for applications that are near heat or chemicals such as high-temp electronic housings or parts that are near motors/exhaust.
Common Defense Drone & UAV Applications
We have several capabilities within our manufacturing services catered to the Defense UAV industry. Here are a few applications we frequently see:
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Additional Resources
