Magnetically assisted bilayer composites for soft bending actuators

Jang, S.H.; Na, Seon Hong; Park, Yong Lae

doi:10.3390/ma10060646

Magnetically assisted bilayer composites for soft bending actuators

Title

Magnetically assisted bilayer composites for soft bending actuators

Author

Jang, S.H. (TU Delft Novel Aerospace Materials; Carnegie Mellon University)
Na, Seon Hong (Columbia University)
Park, Yong Lae (Carnegie Mellon University; Seoul National University)

Date

2017-06-12

Abstract

This article presents a soft pneumatic bending actuator using a magnetically assisted bilayer composite composed of silicone polymer and ferromagnetic particles. Bilayer composites were fabricated by mixing ferromagnetic particles to a prepolymer state of silicone in a mold and asymmetrically distributed them by applying a strong non-uniform magnetic field to one side of the mold during the curing process. The biased magnetic field induces sedimentation of the ferromagnetic particles toward one side of the structure. The nonhomogeneous distribution of the particles induces bending of the structure when inflated, as a result of asymmetric stiffness of the composite. The bilayer composites were then characterized with a scanning electron microscopy and thermogravimetric analysis. The bending performance and the axial expansion of the actuator were discussed for manipulation applications in soft robotics and bioengineering. The magnetically assisted manufacturing process for the soft bending actuator is a promising technique for various applications in soft robotics.

Subject

Bilayer composite
Ferromagnetic particles
Non-uniform magnetic field
Pneumatic bending actuator
soft actuator

To reference this document use:

http://resolver.tudelft.nl/uuid:427e8b44-6145-434a-9717-a86a7d713b96

DOI

https://doi.org/10.3390/ma10060646

ISSN

1996-1944

Source

Materials, 10 (6)

Part of collection

Institutional Repository