Production of a Strain-Measuring Device with an Improved 3D Printer

Area of Science:

• Optical Engineering
• Materials Science
• Mechanical Engineering

Background:

• Traditional strain gauges require electrical power and are prone to electromagnetic interference, leading to signal fluctuations.
• Existing methods for strain measurement often involve complex instrumentation and can be limited by environmental factors.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate a novel, non-electrical strain measurement technique.
• To utilize photographic principles and smartphone microscopy for visual strain detection.
• To evaluate the performance of different materials in an amplified strain sensing mechanism.

Main Methods:

• A photographic technique was employed, amplifying strain changes via pointer displacement.
• A smartphone camera was augmented with a custom polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) lens, creating a microscopic imaging system.
• Acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) and nylon were used as amplifier materials, fabricated using advanced 3D printing.

Main Results:

• The system achieved an equivalent focal length of 5.74 mm for microscopic image capture.
• Sensitivity measurements showed 36.03 ± 1.34 µε/µm for ABS and 36.55 ± 0.53 µε/µm for nylon amplifiers.
• Experimental data were validated against finite element analysis (FEA) results.

Conclusions:

• The proposed photographic strain measurement method offers a viable alternative to traditional electrical sensors.
• 3D-printed amplifiers made from ABS and nylon demonstrate effective performance in this optical strain sensing system.
• The integration of smartphone microscopy provides a portable and accessible platform for strain analysis.