BODUK Co., Ltd. : Innovating Industrial Drone Inspections with 3D Printing Technology

The Customer

BODUK's predecessor company, founded in 1997, was the first Japanese website to sell imported drones and other radio-controlled equipment to consumers. Seeing a drop in drone popularity, President Houe Ohta shifted the company's focus to industrial drones. In 2002, he started BODUK Co., Ltd. to create specialized products for infrastructure inspections.

BODUK reduced its drone manufacturing time to between one-half and one-third of the original duration, a significant improvement primarily driven by more efficient use of materials and labor.

The Challenge

"Can they be used to inspect large structures like buildings, bridges, and dams?" wondered Ohta, a civil engineering professional. Back then, drones were primarily used to collect and send video and temperature data. Ohta aimed to improve drone technology for non-destructive inspections.

In 2013, BODUK received a subsidy from Saitama Prefecture for robot development startups, allowing them to acquire a 3D printer. Over the next three years, Ohta and his team thoroughly tested the printer to understand its capabilities and usefulness.

Non-destructive inspections gather internal data about a structure's integrity using methods like striking a concrete wall or applying electromagnetic waves. A key tool for this work is a proximity sensor. For use on a drone, the combined weight of the sensor and its frame had to be as light as possible.

“The frame needed to support 1 kg of equipment weighs about 3 kg, depending on the type and size of the inspection equipment,” explained Ohta. The sensor frame also had to be durable enough to handle the tough conditions the drone might face during inspections.

For mass production with 3D printing, the printer needed to consistently produce precise parts for reliable assembly. However, maintaining this level of precision was an issue with some of the 3D printers that Ohta and his team tested.

The Solution

In 2017, BODUK invested in a Markforged Onyx One and Mark Two. Today, the company uses 15 Markforged machines, including X7 industrial printers. Adding more printers has significantly boosted BODUK’s manufacturing efficiency:

“With distributed batch processing, increasing the number of units is more effective than just speeding up one unit, and it also reduces risks. For example, adding three units can increase productivity by five times, not just three,” explained Ohta.

Markforged products have proven their ability to meet BODUK’s various requirements. For instance, their 3D-printed propeller guards combine strength and flexibility. Carbon fiber is ideal for this use due to its balance of toughness and flexibility, protecting the propeller without hindering its function.

The reproducible precision of Markforged printers is evident in the smooth connections between BODUK’s drone parts. They use 50 mm carbon rods to align and connect 13 parts. “The Markforged 3D printers can achieve this precision within 0.02 mm,” asserted Ohta.

“Their good yields reduce labor costs and allow people to work without stress. We’re also satisfied with the high precision reproducibility achieved through the linear guide. In short, they’ve been very cost-effective.”

According to his estimates, the Markforged equipment reduces manufacturing time to between one-half and one-third compared to competing printers. “Reducing lost time not only cuts down on hidden costs, but it also frees up more time for improved product development,” Ohta added.

The Future

BODUK’s expertise in developing aerial vehicles, such as aircraft and helicopters, fuels its development of unique industrial drones, including wall-climbing robots. The next phase of the company’s growth will be to develop and commercialize mobile robots for under-floor inspections. This is part of its efforts to create potential applications for drones and robots in narrow spaces that are challenging for human inspectors to access.

“I believe there’s still potential to generate demand in the construction and civil engineering industries. For example, one possible application could be an inspection jig used at a highway maintenance site. It would primarily act as a guide to aid manual labor by workers,” Ohta envisions.

Ohta’s ideas flow as freely as a drone soaring through the sky. With Markforged printers, there’s every reason to believe he’ll be able to transform many of them into innovations that will benefit the industries his company serves.

“What’s important is that good yields reduce labor costs and allow people to work without stress. We’re also satisfied with the high precision reproducibility achieved through the linear guide. In short, it’s been very cost-effective.”

– HOUE OHTA COMPANY PRESIDENT