Application Cases

Experimental Name: Functionalized Driving of Underwater Electrode Coating Devices

Research Focus:
With the advancement of 3D printing technology, numerous novel functional materials, including flexible materials and specialty engineering plastics, have emerged for printing. These new materials represent a growing trend in development. Although flexible materials have been extensively studied in smart sensing and flexible actuation, their fabrication processes are often complex and require repetitive designs. Therefore, 3D printing is needed to simplify the manufacturing process and accelerate optimization. Specialty engineering plastics exhibit excellent performance but cannot be processed using conventional 3D printers. To date, there have been few reports on the 3D printing of such plastics. Drawing on advanced domestic and international technologies, this paper develops a high-temperature 3D printer capable of printing flexible materials and specialty engineering plastics. It investigates integrated printing processes for flexible smart structures and PEEK infill techniques, providing a reference for the printing application of functional materials.

(1) Experiments were conducted on the extrusion processing of 3D printing flexible filament (TPU), focusing on the influence of temperature parameters. By analyzing the quality and tensile properties of TPU filament under different temperature conditions, it was found that tensile strength significantly decreased with rising temperature, while the elongation at break remained largely unchanged. Based on this, the optimal extrusion temperature was determined.

(2) Combining the principles of dielectric elastomer actuation, the structural designs of a soft robotic fish and a soft gripper were developed. An integrated 3D printing process was established, including pre-stretching, electrode coating, 3D printing, and power assembly. Functionalized driving of the devices was achieved using underwater and air electrode coating methods. The soft robotic fish achieved a stable swimming speed of 3 cm/s, and the soft gripper reached a grasping performance of 10.1 mN/g.

(3) The main structure of a dual-chamber desktop high-temperature 3D printer was designed, including a multi-purpose print head, motion mechanism, sheet metal frame, and auxiliary components. A Corexy motion mechanism and ChiTuPro control board were selected, along with a heating system combining PTC heating and thermal radiation lamps. The temperature was controlled by an independent temperature control module. Finite element simulation analysis was conducted to address nozzle clogging issues, resulting in the identification of an optimal 0.4 mm nozzle structure under experimental conditions.

(4) Exploration of PEEK infill techniques was carried out, studying the effects of extrusion temperature, layer thickness, and feed rate on the infill density of printed objects. Experimental results showed that reducing the feed rate and increasing the printing temperature improved infill density, while layer thickness had little effect. Based on this, suitable printing parameters were determined, providing a reference for future industrial applications.

Experimental Objective: To validate the functionalized driving of underwater electrode coating devices.

Test Equipment: Signal generator, ATA-7000 series high-voltage amplifier, 3D printing materials.

Experimental Process:
The ATA-7100 high-voltage amplifier can amplify low-voltage signals generated by the signal generator by up to 2000 times, with a maximum output voltage of ±10 kVp. The signal from the generator is input to the high-voltage amplifier via a BNC cable for amplification. After 3D printing is completed, the swimming performance of the soft robotic fish is tested. An external high-voltage power supply (Aigtek 7100) is used to provide voltage, and a function generator supplies the voltage waveform. The tested parameters include voltage, waveform, and frequency. It is important to note that the high-voltage end of the connection wires must be protected to avoid contact with water during swimming. Therefore, silicone film and insulated wires are used to cover the ends of the high-voltage wires on the soft fish. Thin copper wires are selected as the high-voltage wires to minimize drag during swimming. When the soft fish swims along the predetermined trajectory, the frequency and voltage are gradually increased from zero to achieve optimal motion performance. Experimental results show that at 6 kV, sine wave, and 5 Hz, the soft fish maintains stable swimming.

Figure 1-1: Experimental workflow diagram

Experimental Results:
As shown in the figure, the soft fish exhibits good swimming performance, achieving forward motion. Under these parameters, the swimming speed is 3 cm/s, equivalent to one-fourth of its body length per second, representing an optimal swimming performance. Although this is not the maximum speed (the highest applicable voltage is 10 kV), higher voltages increase the risk of film breakdown and failure. At lower voltage levels, the soft fish can swim continuously for over 2 hours without significant deformation. In this test, the soft fish was connected to the power supply via thin copper wires. Due to the limited length of the copper wires, the swimming range was restricted. If a small power supply could be mounted directly on the fish, higher degrees of freedom in swimming could be achieved.

Figure 1-2: Swimming state of the soft robotic fish

Product Recommendation: ATA-7000 Series High-Voltage Amplifier

Figure: ATA-7000 Series High-Voltage Amplifier Specifications and Parameters

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