Production Parameters and Thermo-Mechanical Performance of Twisted and Coiled Artificial Muscles (TCAMs) †
<p>Manufacturing process of TCAM: twisting and coiling are necessary to create the structure of the artificial muscle; annealing and training allow to relax stress during the previous steps and set the geometry; plying is needed when multi-plies geometries are required.</p> "> Figure 2
<p>SEM analysis performed on the precursor fibers: (<b>a</b>) SEM image obtained of the Shieldex 235/36x4 HCB precursor fiber; (<b>b</b>) SEM magnification of (<b>a</b>).</p> "> Figure 3
<p>Micrographs taken of the precursor fibers and determination of their average diameters: (<b>a</b>) Shieldex 117/17x2 HCB; (<b>b</b>) Shieldex 235/36x2 HCB; (<b>c</b>) Shieldex 235/36x4 HCB.</p> "> Figure 4
<p>Schematic representation of the experimental setup (on the <b>left</b>) and its prototyping (on the <b>right</b>).</p> "> Figure 5
<p>Results of percentage displacement obtained for TCAMs made from the Shieldex 235/36x4 HCB fiber at the three rotational speeds during production: <span class="html-italic">ω</span> = 300 rpm (red curve); <span class="html-italic">ω</span> = 600 rpm (blue curve); <span class="html-italic">ω</span> = 900 rpm (black curve). The tests were conducted with a supply current of 0.6 A.</p> "> Figure 6
<p>Results of percentage displacement obtained for TCAMs made from the Shieldex 235/36x2 HCB fiber at the three rotational speeds during production: <span class="html-italic">ω</span> = 300 rpm (red curve); <span class="html-italic">ω</span> = 600 rpm (blue curve); <span class="html-italic">ω</span> = 900 rpm (black curve). The tests were conducted with a supply current of 0.35 A.</p> "> Figure 7
<p>Results of percentage displacement obtained for TCAMs made from the Shieldex 117/17x2 HCB fiber at the three rotational speeds during production: <span class="html-italic">ω</span> = 300 rpm (red curve); <span class="html-italic">ω</span> = 600 rpm (blue curve); <span class="html-italic">ω</span> = 900 rpm (black curve). The tests were conducted with a supply current of 0.15 A.</p> "> Figure 8
<p>Experimental results in terms of displacement obtained for TCAMs produced with a DC motor rotational speed of <span class="html-italic">ω</span> = 300 rpm, using increasing supply currents. The graphs refer to the following precursor fibers: (<b>a</b>) Shieldex 235/36x4 HCB; (<b>b</b>) Shieldex 235/36x2 HCB; (<b>c</b>) Shieldex 117/17x2 HCB.</p> ">
Abstract
:1. Introduction
2. Materials and Methods
2.1. Experimental Section
2.1.1. Materials
- The first number indicates the linear density of the fibers expressed in dtex, a typical unit of measurement for filaments that stands for grams per 10 km;
- The second value indicates the number of filaments present in a single layer of the precursor fiber;
- The third value, finally, indicates the total number of layers present.
2.1.2. Experimental Setup
- A laser displacement sensor (Micro-Epsilon optoNCDT 1220-500 mm, Ortenburg, Germany) for displacement detection;
- A 12 V DC motor with a planetary gear and digital encoder used during the twisting and coiling phases of the artificial muscles;
- A 3D-printed weight holder with an aluminum rod at its base for attaching weights during the different phases of production and characterization;
- A guide for the weight holder, also made via 3D printing, necessary to direct the movement of the holder and avoid undesired movements;
- A control unit;
- An Arduino UNO Rev3 board used to control the speed and rotation direction of the DC motor via the digital encoder mounted on it;
- A power supply (Aim TTi CPX series 400DP) used to power the electric motor and actuate the artificial muscles.
3. Results and Discussion
3.1. Results for Constant Actuation Currents
3.2. Results for Increasing Actuation Currents
4. Conclusions
Author Contributions
Funding
Institutional Review Board Statement
Informed Consent Statement
Data Availability Statement
Acknowledgments
Conflicts of Interest
References
- Haines, C.S.; Lima, M.D.; Li, N.; Spinks, G.M.; Foroughi, J.; Madden, J.D.W.; Kim, S.H.; Fang, S.; Jung De Andrade, M.; Göktepe, F.; et al. Artificial Muscles from Fishing Line and Sewing Thread. Science 2014, 343, 868–872. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed]
- Yuan, J.; Poulin, P. Fibers Do the Twist. Science 2014, 343, 845–846. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed]
- Garofalo, S.; Morano, C.; Perrelli, M.; Pagnotta, L.; Carbone, G.; Mundo, D.; Bruno, L. A Critical Review of Transitioning from Conventional Actuators to Artificial Muscles in Upper-Limb Rehabilitation Devices. J. Intell. Mater. Syst. Struct. 2024, 35, 1263–1290. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Lamuta, C.; Messelot, S.; Tawfick, S. Theory of the Tensile Actuation of Fiber Reinforced Coiled Muscles. Smart Mater. Struct. 2018, 27, 055018. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Suzuki, M.; Kamamichi, N. Control of Twisted and Coiled Polymer Actuator with Anti-Windup Compensator. Smart Mater. Struct. 2018, 27, 075014. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Saharan, L.; Tadesse, Y. Novel Twisted and Coiled Polymer Artificial Muscles for Biomedical and Robotics Applications. In Materials for Biomedical Engineering; Elsevier: Amsterdam, The Netherlands, 2019; pp. 45–75. ISBN 978-0-12-816909-4. [Google Scholar]
- Saharan, L.; Tadesse, Y. Fabrication Parameters and Performance Relationship of Twisted and Coiled Polymer Muscles. In Volume 14: Emerging Technologies; Materials: Genetics to Structures; Safety Engineering and Risk Analysis, Proceedings of the ASME 2016 International Mechanical Engineering Congress and Exposition, Phoenix, AZ, USA, 11–17 November 2016; American Society of Mechanical Engineers: Phoenix, AZ, USA; p. V014T11A028.
- Ross, A.L. Cable Kinking Analysis and Prevention. J. Eng. Ind. 1977, 99, 112–115. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Haines, C.S.; Li, N.; Spinks, G.M.; Aliev, A.E.; Di, J.; Baughman, R.H. New Twist on Artificial Muscles. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 2016, 113, 11709–11716. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed]
Production | Annealing | Working |
---|---|---|
P = 0.79 N | P = 1.28 N | P = 1.28 N |
P = 1.18 N | P = 1.67 N | P = 1.67 N |
P = 1.57 N | P = 2.06 N | P = 2.06 N |
P = 1.77 N | P = 2.26 N | P = 2.26 N |
Production | Annealing | Working |
---|---|---|
P = 0.40 N | P = 0.69 N | P = 0.69 N |
P = 0.49 N | P = 0.79 N | P = 0.79 N |
P = 0.59 N | P = 0.89 N | P = 0.89 N |
P = 0.69 N | P = 1 N | P = 1 N |
Production | Annealing | Working |
---|---|---|
P = 0.29 N | P = 0.49 N | P = 0.49 N |
P = 0.39 N | P = 0.59 N | P = 0.59 N |
P = 0.49 N | P = 0.69 N | P = 0.69 N |
P = 0.59 N | P = 0.79 N | P = 0.79 N |
P = 0.69 N | P = 0.89 N | P = 0.89 N |
P = 0.79 N | P = 1 N | P = 1 N |
Disclaimer/Publisher’s Note: The statements, opinions and data contained in all publications are solely those of the individual author(s) and contributor(s) and not of MDPI and/or the editor(s). MDPI and/or the editor(s) disclaim responsibility for any injury to people or property resulting from any ideas, methods, instructions or products referred to in the content. |
© 2025 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
Share and Cite
Garofalo, S.; Morano, C.; Pagnotta, L.; Bruno, L. Production Parameters and Thermo-Mechanical Performance of Twisted and Coiled Artificial Muscles (TCAMs). Eng. Proc. 2025, 85, 1. https://doi.org/10.3390/engproc2025085001
Garofalo S, Morano C, Pagnotta L, Bruno L. Production Parameters and Thermo-Mechanical Performance of Twisted and Coiled Artificial Muscles (TCAMs). Engineering Proceedings. 2025; 85(1):1. https://doi.org/10.3390/engproc2025085001
Chicago/Turabian StyleGarofalo, Salvatore, Chiara Morano, Leonardo Pagnotta, and Luigi Bruno. 2025. "Production Parameters and Thermo-Mechanical Performance of Twisted and Coiled Artificial Muscles (TCAMs)" Engineering Proceedings 85, no. 1: 1. https://doi.org/10.3390/engproc2025085001
APA StyleGarofalo, S., Morano, C., Pagnotta, L., & Bruno, L. (2025). Production Parameters and Thermo-Mechanical Performance of Twisted and Coiled Artificial Muscles (TCAMs). Engineering Proceedings, 85(1), 1. https://doi.org/10.3390/engproc2025085001