Experienced electronic component manufacturer and distributor AvioRace talks to UST about how the company’s extensive experience in the design, development and distribution of high-tech, ultralight sensors, connectors and cable harnesses for motorsport, crosses over into the unmanned and autonomous sector.
AvioRace has been a distributor of electronic components to the motorsport industry for over 20 years and has recently entered into the autonomous and unmanned systems market. Can you tell us how your expertise in motorsport directly transfers to drone technology?
Our expertize in motorsport drives our success in the autonomous and unmanned systems sector. We are used to dealing with high-tech components and ultralight products such as sensors, connectors and cable harnesses that fit the payload needs of the motorsport market.
The ability to meet this demand for high-performance low SWaP (Size, Weight and Power) components is ideally suited to the requirements of the drone industry, the stipulations of both markets are remarkably interconnected.
Could you tell us more about the requirements and similarities between motorsport and drones and how the technology transfers between these platforms?
Both fields employ high-tech, reliable and stress-resistant products. For example, we developed miniaturized pressure sensors that balance effectively size, weight, speed of data transmission and durability.
AvioRace is an official distributor for some of the most famous brands in motorsports, including: TE Connectivity and Souriau Sunbank by Eaton – connectors ; McLaren Applied, Variohm, MoTeC – sensors and electronics- and more. Alongside our custom sensors, AvioRace also distributes sensors developed by manufacturers well known within motorsport. This unique position as a distributor enables us to manage a wide portfolio of ECUs, alternators and displays, and means that we are ideally situated to take an experienced overview of projects and realize the necessary cable harnesses.
AvioRace has launched collaborations with companies involved in unmanned systems development, could you tell us more about these?
Yes, AvioRace regularly collaborates with companies operating in the unmanned systems market, providing them ECUs, sensors, connectors and cable harnesses, alongside prompt technical support.
This is a rapidly growing sector, so we offer a high-performance product portfolio and engineering services including full harness design leading to eventual production.
The methodologies related to the choice of raw materials and design philosophy stem directly from our experience within the motorsport industry, where the essential requirements are the same:
- SWaP optimized
- Extremely reliable
- Sustainable costs
Our range of sensors also covers different fields of application, from control of propulsion systems to data analysis, related to, for example; temperature, pressure, and load: we can cover the entire unmanned aircraft system.
What type of unmanned systems are AvioRace’s products and services ideally suited to?
Our work within the unmanned industry so far has been focused on manufacturers of aerial drones for transportation and surveillance. However, our products can also be perfectly adapted to autonomous land and marine systems. We can also provide solutions for both thermal, electric or hybrid-powered units.
What geographic areas does AvioRace cover?
AvioRace, with its headquarters in Vignola, in the heart of the Italian motor-valley, covers all businesses in the EMEA market. Aviorace USA, the U.S. subsidiary of Aviorace based in Troutman, NC, covers the entire American continent. In Oceania and Japan, on the other hand, Aviorace is present through such high-profile distributors as Proloom Motorsport and C-Trade.
