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4D printing of a flexible expandable skin with embedded SMAs
Multifunctional materials serve as compact actuators reducing the size as well as weight of a structural component. The integration of actuators in such structures serves the dual purpose of reinforcement as well as adaptation.
The present Semester’s thesis project aims to leverage the existing competencies at CMAS to optimize and promote the 3D printing of SMA actuated structural composites. 3D printing of the SMAs with pure polymer based structures would be enhanced by the addition of short and continuous fibers (glass or carbon fiber) to improve the structural properties of the printed structures. Other part of the study would be to incorporate the SMAs in order to achieve complex shapes in the printed structure as well as combining an actuator leaf spring design to recover the strain during the cooling phases. The starting design for the skin would be the top sheet as developed at CMAS Lab.
The present Semester’s thesis project aims to leverage the existing competencies at CMAS to optimize and promote the 3D printing of SMA actuated structural composites. 3D printing of the SMAs with pure polymer based structures would be enhanced by the addition of short and continuous fibers (glass or carbon fiber) to improve the structural properties of the printed structures. Other part of the study would be to incorporate the SMAs in order to achieve complex shapes in the printed structure as well as combining an actuator leaf spring design to recover the strain during the cooling phases. The starting design for the skin would be the top sheet as developed at CMAS Lab.
1.Optimize PEI coating on SMAs; Expand the printing boundaries
2.PEI printing and PEI/short-fiber composite printing, continues glass fiber coated with PEI printing
3.Develop and demonstrate a practical structural application for the printed structures
1.Optimize PEI coating on SMAs; Expand the printing boundaries 2.PEI printing and PEI/short-fiber composite printing, continues glass fiber coated with PEI printing 3.Develop and demonstrate a practical structural application for the printed structures