Volex Labs / Forge / Drone frame generator — text to CAD.

Drone frame generator — text to CAD.

Describe the frame — wheelbase, plate thickness, arm width, motor bolt pattern — and Volex Forge builds the X-frame as one fused plate with the hub, four arms and four motor bosses, ready to cut from carbon or alloy sheet.

Wheelbase is the motor-to-motor diagonal, the way frame classes are named: a 450 is 450 mm corner to corner, not 450 mm across the plate. The flat pattern that comes out is smaller than the wheelbase, and the page below shows the measured size so there is no surprise at the laser.

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What you get

From a plain-English prompt

450-class frame, 4 mm plateExample — measured from the part this prompt builds
A quadcopter drone frame, 450mm wheelbase, 4mm thick
ParameterValue
Wheelbase (motor diagonal)450.0 mm
Plate thickness4.0 mm
Flat pattern, corner to corner347.93 mm
Arm width12.0 mm (default)
Motor shaft windowø5.0 mm (default)
Motor bolt pattern16 × 16 mm, M3 (default)
FC stack mounting30.5 × 30.5 mm, M3
ExportSTEP / STL / DXF
Every part is checked before you download it — geometry, and where relevant FEA against textbook theory. See the verification report.

Frequently asked

Why is the plate smaller than the wheelbase?
Because wheelbase is the diagonal between opposite motors, which is how frame classes are named. A 450 measures 450 mm corner to corner; the square it fits inside is about 318 mm plus the motor bosses. The measured figure is in the table above.
Can I set the motor mounting pattern?
Yes. Say the shaft size, the bolt size and the pattern — for example “6mm motor shaft, M4 motor bolts, 19mm motor pattern” — and the boss grows to keep material around every bolt. Leave them out and you get the 16 × 16 mm M3 pattern most 5-inch motors use.
Is this ready to cut?
The DXF is the flat outline with every hole in it, which is what a laser or waterjet shop wants. Carbon plate is normally cut 3–5 mm; state the thickness you are buying and the model matches it.
What does a frame cost?
Forge is free to try; individual parts are from £2.99. You only pay when you download a file you want.

More Forge generators

Mounting plate generatorMotor mount generatorStandoff generatorAll of Volex Forge

Need a frame the motors actually bolt to?

Free to try · parts from £2.99 · STEP, STL or DXF · every part verified before download.

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