Year
2021
Degree Name
Doctor of Philosophy
Department
School of Mechanical, Materials, Mechatronic and Biomedical Engineering
Abstract
Soft pneumatic actuators are ideal for soft robotic applications due to their innate compliance and high power-weight ratios. Presently, the majority of soft pneumatic actuators are used to create bending motions, with very few able to produce significant linear movements. Fewer can actively produce strains in multiple directions. The further development of these actuators is limited by their fabrication methods, specifically the lack of suitable stretchable materials for 3D printing.
In this thesis, a new highly elastic resin for digital light projection 3D printers, designated ElastAMBER, is developed and evaluated, which shows improvements over previously synthesised elastic resins. It is prepared from a di-functional polyether urethane acrylate oligomer and a blend of two different diluent monomers. ElastAMBER exhibits a viscosity of 1000 mPa.s at 40 °C, allowing easy printing at near room temperatures. The 3D-printed components present an elastomeric behaviour with a maximum extension ratio of 4.02 ± 0.06, an ultimate tensile strength of (1.23 ± 0.09) MPa, low hysteresis, and negligible viscoelastic relaxation.
Recommended Citation
Drury, Ryan G., Design and Fabrication of Soft 3D Printed Actuators: Expanding Soft Robotics Applications, Doctor of Philosophy thesis, School of Mechanical, Materials, Mechatronic and Biomedical Engineering, University of Wollongong, 2021. https://ro.uow.edu.au/theses1/1347
FoR codes (2008)
0913 MECHANICAL ENGINEERING, 0912 MATERIALS ENGINEERING, 0999 OTHER ENGINEERING
Unless otherwise indicated, the views expressed in this thesis are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of the University of Wollongong.