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Production of a Strain-Measuring Device with an Improved 3D Printer
Published on: January 30, 2020
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Complex Geometry Strain Sensors Based on 3D Printed Nanocomposites: Spring, Three-Column Device and Footstep-Sensing
Alejandro Cortés1, Xoan F Sánchez-Romate1, Alberto Jiménez-Suárez1
1Materials Science and Engineering Area, Escuela Superior de Ciencias Experimentales y Tecnología, Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, C/Tulipán s/n, 28933 Móstoles, Madrid, Spain.
Nanomaterials (Basel, Switzerland)
|April 30, 2021
Summary
3D printed electromechanical sensors using carbon nanotubes offer high sensitivity and reproducibility. Single-walled and double-walled carbon nanotubes enhance performance in complex sensor designs for daily and industrial applications.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Nanotechnology
- Additive Manufacturing
Background:
- Electromechanical sensors are crucial for various applications.
- Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) offer unique electrical and mechanical properties.
- Digital Light Processing (DLP) 3D printing allows for complex geometries and design freedom.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop novel electromechanical sensing devices using DLP 3D printing.
- To investigate the impact of different carbon nanotube morphologies (SWCNTs, DWCNTs, MWCNTs) on sensor performance.
- To evaluate the electromechanical properties of complex 3D printed sensor designs.
Main Methods:
- Fabrication of CNT-doped resin nanocomposites using DLP 3D printing.
- Manufacturing of sensor prototypes with complex geometries (spring, three-column device, footstep sensor).
- Characterization of electrical resistance changes under applied load and cyclic testing.
- Analysis of glass transition temperature (Tg) and its relation to CNT type and content.
- Evaluation of strain sensitivity under tensile and bending conditions.
Main Results:
- DLP 3D printed sensors exhibited high sensitivity to applied load and excellent cyclic reproducibility.
- SWCNT- and DWCNT-doped nanocomposites showed higher glass transition temperatures (Tg) than MWCNT-doped ones.
- The Tg decreased with increasing CNT content due to UV light shielding effects.
- SWCNT- and DWCNT-doped sensors demonstrated superior electromechanical performance, particularly enhanced strain sensitivity in bending conditions.
Conclusions:
- DLP 3D printing enables the creation of versatile electromechanical sensors with complex designs.
- The type of carbon nanotube significantly influences the thermal and electromechanical properties of the sensors.
- These advanced sensors hold promise for integration into diverse daily life objects and industrial devices.
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