The Future of Drone Delivery Is CNC Machined by Valqari
Valqari caught our eye when they shared a picture of their team milling our Aluminum Tool Holder project using the Bantam Tools Desktop CNC Milling Machine. We reached out to learn more about how they’re putting the machine to use, and they had us at “creating drone delivery solutions.” They’re driven to create a secure and practical solution to the challenge of “the last inch of the last mile.”
Since 2017, Valqari has been working to build safe landing stations for drone delivery. Their stations provide a secure location for drones to land and take off. They’ve also developed internal package-manipulation robotics and cloud-based control software that enable drones to accurately deliver packages.
The Valqari team added our Bantam Tools Desktop CNC Milling Machine to their workshop due to its affordability and small footprint. “The size, price, and software really made this an easy decision,” says Sean McShane, a manufacturing engineer at Valqari. The team uses the Bantam Tools Desktop CNC Milling Machine to mill aluminum parts and brackets that would otherwise take significantly longer to produce, due to manufacturing lead times. The machine enables Sean and his team to quickly machine aluminum prototypes on the same day that they design them. Plus, being able to prototype these metal parts in low quantities on the Bantam Tools Desktop CNC Milling Machine helps them save on costs because they don’t have to go through outside vendors.
Additionally, the Bantam Tool Milling Machine Software has made a difference in the team’s prototyping workflow. Sean explains that they use the Conversational CAM feature a lot — and love it. For them, it’s an incredibly handy tool that helps them quickly add holes or pockets to a part. Rather than dive back into their CAD/CAM software, they use Conversational CAM to program these simple part features right in the Bantam Tools software. Sean notes, “The software is so easy to use and gives a great visualization for the end result.”
And for the Valqari team, quick results are key, which is why the team couldn’t live without their digital fabrication tools. The ability to make new prototypes and parts within hours is something that has really helped the team improve their delivery stations rapidly and affordably. For example, they use the Bantam Tools Desktop CNC Milling Machine in tandem with a couple of FDM 3D printers. “The Bantam Tools Desktop CNC Milling Machine is perfect when we need parts that require higher rigidity or see higher loads,” Sean explains. “A lot of times, we 3D print a new design first to confirm its geometry, and then we make the same part on the Bantam Tools Desktop CNC Milling Machine for a stronger, usable part.”
Being able to run the Bantam Tools Desktop CNC Milling Machine and 3D printers, like their Prusa MK3S machines, is a game changer. Another tool the team uses daily is their iFixit driver kit. The kit comes with just about every bit someone would need, and they use them for fastening a lot of their parts. The third critical tool that they use is Solidworks, where they do all their design work. It’s a great platform for modeling and placing several parts into assemblies, so Sean and the team can ensure that all of their parts mesh together well without interference.
Finally, we asked Sean if he had any advice for other world changers or skill builders who are just starting to use their machine. Sean noted the importance of having go-to speeds and feeds recipes for each material application because to save time and ease the learning curve. But, like a true world changer exploring the frontier, Sean’s parting advice was “Don’t be afraid to get your hands dirty and break bits.”
About Valqari
Valqari’s mission is to create a secure infrastructure for autonomous parcel delivery. They’re driven by innovation and revolutionizing the way everyone sends and receives packages. They aim to ensure that the rise of autonomous package delivery is met with capable and secure storage solutions. You can learn more about them on their website, Instagram, and LinkedIn.
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