The Role of Metrology in Orbital UAV’s Engine Crankcases

In the world of unmanned aerial vehicles, reliability begins long before the first flight. It starts deep within the heart of the propulsion system, inside the crankcase, where precision engineering meets the science of measurement.At Orbital UAV, we understand that propulsion performance is only as strong as the geometry that holds it together. The crankcase isn’t just a housing, it’s the backbone of the engine, anchoring the crankshaft, bearings, and critical internal components under high loads, temperature gradients, and vibration.

That’s where metrology steps in.

Every engine crankcase produced at Orbital UAV in machined from a solid billet and is fully verified in-house by our metrology laboratory, where design intent meets measurable reality.

Here’s how we ensure every crankcase meets its specification:

62 critical and 11 significant characteristics are defined, controlled, and inspected.

Geometric tolerances (squareness, flatness, parallelism) are held to ≤10 µm.Feature-of-size tolerances (such as compressor bores) are maintained to ±7 µm.

Inspection coverage: 100% of crankcases, no sampling, no exceptions.

A crankcase with sub-micron misalignment can alter bearing preload, disturb crankshaft balance, and degrade combustion efficiency. Through precise measurement and closed-loop verification, Orbital UAV ensures that each crankcase maintains its structural integrity and dimensional accuracy which is critical for consistent power delivery, long service life, and mission success in extreme environments.

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