Manufacturing process for inkjet-printing a relaxor ferroelectric actuator

Manufacturing process for inkjet-printing a relaxor ferroelectric actuator

SEKAR, SANJAY ARUN (TU Delft Mechanical, Maritime and Materials Engineering)

Hunt, A. (mentor)
Hassan HosseinNia, S. (graduation committee)

Delft University of Technology

Mechanical Engineering | Mechatronic System Design (MSD)

2021-10-28

By embedding actuators and sensors in passive structures, it will be possible to realize more functional machines, enabling the enhanced performance capabilities of high-tech machines. While developments in printed structures and electronics are reaching application maturity, only the first signs of feasibility for the printing of actuators and sensors have been reported. In this research, an integrated manufacturing process has been developed for inkjet printing functional high-strain actuators that exploit P(VDF-TrFE-CTFE) electroactive polymer and Ag electrodes. For validation, the actuators were manufactured and their dynamic performance was characterized. At 200 V, the best-manufactured cantilever actuator achieved a steady-state deflection of 95.338 μm and a resonance deflection of 1718 μm at 114Hz. This is the first time that a fully inkjet-printed functional actuator with a fluorinated electroactive polymer as an active layer has been reported. Initial efforts to transition actuator fabrication entirely towards additive manufacturing to realize printed mechatronics appear to be extremely promising.

Inkjet printing
Flexible actuators
Smart materials
Electroactive polymer
P(VDF-TrFE-CTFE) ink formulation
Additive Manufacturing

http://resolver.tudelft.nl/uuid:173c1687-e31a-45aa-9750-700d0036a561

2023-10-28

Student theses

master thesis

© 2021 SANJAY ARUN SEKAR