3-D-printed smart screw: functionalization during additive fabrication
Integrating sensors into machine parts is a necessary step for the development of smart or intelligent components. Sensors integrated into materials such as concrete, fiber compounds, or metals are already used to measure strain, temperature, or corrosion. The integration is mostly done during f...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Copernicus Publications
2018-03-01
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| Series: | Journal of Sensors and Sensor Systems |
| Online Access: | https://www.j-sens-sens-syst.net/7/143/2018/jsss-7-143-2018.pdf |
| Summary: | Integrating sensors into machine parts is a necessary step for the
development of smart or intelligent components. Sensors integrated into
materials such as concrete, fiber compounds, or metals are already used to
measure strain, temperature, or corrosion. The integration is mostly done
during fabrication, where the sensor is recast in the material during
processing. However, approaches to integrate sensors into parts fabricated by
additive manufacturing are still rarely found. Especially in the case of
rapid prototyping, additive techniques are already substituting the machining
of parts using classical technologies like cutting, drilling and milling. To
characterize such 3-D-printed machine parts the direct integration of sensing
elements is the next logical step. This can be done in multi-material
printing by using insulating, magnetic, and conductive materials. In the case
of single material printing, our idea is to integrate a sensing element
during the printing process itself. As proof-of-concept, we present the
functionalization of 3-D-printed screws. Strain gauges screen-printed on a
6 µm thick foil are interposed into the 3-D part during
microstereolithography printing. We measure the torsional strain in the screw
head to calculate the prestressing force in screws made from different
plastic materials. We also analyze the
defect effect by comparing it to screws without integrated elements. |
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| ISSN: | 2194-8771 2194-878X |