Elastomeric Prepregs for Soft Robotics Applications

摘要

Typically, soft robots that are driven with compressed air consist of two parts which are bonded together, a top and a strain‐limiting bottom part. This communication describes the possibility to simplify the manufacturing process by using textile semi‐finished products preimpregnated with liquid elastomer (prepregs) as the strain‐limiting part, which can be stored at low temperatures with significant slower cross‐linking reaction. For this, in long‐term tests, three typical elastomers (Elastosil M 4601, Ecoflex 00–30, and Sylgard 184) are stored at −25 °C, and in a weekly cycle over 12 weeks, the viscosity is measured to determine the curing characteristics. It turns out that Elastosil M 4601 and Sylgard 184 are suitable for this application. For comparison, short‐term viscosity measurements are conducted at room temperature in a 10 min cycle. The impregnability of several textiles (polyester/cotton blended fabric, nylon fabric, fleece, and flax fabric) is tested with the suitable elastomers. The applicability of prepregs for soft robotic applications is demonstrated by manufacturing soft bending actuators with various textile‐elastomer combinations.