Printing electrodes for P(VDF-TrFE-CTFE) actuators using a consumer grade inkjet printer

To facilitate smart material transducer research and application, it is important to develop fabrication processes that are widely accessible and compatible with additive manufacturing (AM) techniques. This work addresses inkjet printing and material selection in the fabrication of bending cantilever actuators based on the P(VDF-TrFE-CTFE)...

Flexible, printed, Pb-free piezo-composites for haptic feedback systems

While most of the work on piezoelectric composites focuses on methods to reduce the dielectric constant of the composite (for better sensor and energy harvesting performance), for haptic feedback and actuator applications the opposite is desirable. We present here a study of the effect of adding a second ceramic phase (BaTiO3 nanoparticles)...

Frequency response of IPMC actuators: Physical characterization and identification for control

Ionic polymer metal composite (IPMC) actuators have promising applications in robotics and medicine in a not distance future, which will require a big knowledge in different fields, such as, manufacturing, material characterization and control theory. In this paper, frequency response of several IPMC actuators, cut from the same bulk IPMC sheet...

Actuator tests for a large deformable membrane mirror

In the design of a large adaptive deformable membrane mirror, variable reluctance actuators are used. These consist of a closed magnetic circuit in which a strong permanent magnet provides a static magnetic force on a ferromagnetic core which is suspended in a membrane. By applying a current through the coil which is situated around the magnet,...