A fixed-wing drone used for agricultural mapping suffered a critical accident when its wing detached mid-flight. Subsequent analysis identified the cause: a polymerization failure in the resin bonding the wing's composites. The incident, which occurred during a routine surveying mission, highlighted a problem in the structure's manufacturing process.
Structural failure analysis with RealityCapture and SolidWorks 🛠️
The engineering team used RealityCapture to generate a precise 3D model of the recovered fragments. With SolidWorks Simulation, finite element analyses were performed that revealed concentrated stress at the wing-fuselage joint. The epoxy resin did not reach the necessary degree of polymerization, reducing its tensile strength by 40%. This caused a fatigue failure in flight, without the drone's sensors detecting any prior anomalies.
The glue gave up in the middle of the cornfield 🌽
It turns out the resin, instead of being a high-performance adhesive, decided to go on strike just as the drone was flying over a cornfield. The wing, feeling free, embarked on its own separate flight. Now engineers recommend using resins with visible expiration dates and not relying on the miracle of cheap polymers. The drone, for its part, filed a claim for damages against its manufacturer.