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Impact behaviour of 3D printed cellular structures for mouthguard applications
John Saunders1, Maria Lißner2, David Townsend1
1Department of Engineering Science, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX1 3PJ, UK.
Scientific Reports
|March 8, 2022
Summary
3D printed mouthguards show improved energy dissipation compared to traditional Ethylene-Vinyl Acetate (EVA) materials. This advancement in additive manufacturing offers enhanced precision and potential for integrated electronics in future mouthguard designs.
Area of Science:
- Biomaterials Engineering
- Sports Science
- Additive Manufacturing
Background:
- Ethylene-Vinyl Acetate (EVA) is the standard material for mouthguards but suffers from inconsistent thickness.
- Additive manufacturing offers potential for precise fabrication of mouthguards.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare the energy dissipation of EVA mouthguards with various 3D printed designs.
- To investigate the impact of air cells in 3D printed mouthguards.
- To evaluate performance across different strain rates.
Main Methods:
- Impact testing using Split-Hopkinson bar (medium/high strain rates) and Instron rig (low strain rate).
- Comparison of energy dissipation between EVA and multiple 3D printed designs, including those with air cells.
Main Results:
- The optimal 3D printed design dissipated 25% more energy than EVA at medium and high strain rates.
- Low strain rate testing results were inconclusive.
Conclusions:
- Additive manufacturing is a viable method for producing high-performance mouthguards.
- 3D printed mouthguards offer superior energy dissipation compared to EVA.
- This technology enables future integration of electronics and sensors into mouthguards.
