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arXiv · 2503.20957

Pellet-based 3D Printing of Soft Thermoplastic Elastomeric Membranes for Soft Robotic Applications

Nick Willemstein·Mohammad Ebrahim Imanian·Herman van der Kooij·Ali Sadeghi
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Abstract

Additive Manufacturing (AM) is a promising solution for handling the complexity of fabricating soft robots. However, the AM of hyperelastic materials is still challenging with a limited material range. Within this work, pellet-based 3D printing of very soft thermoplastic elastomers (TPEs) was explored (down to Shore Hardness 00-30). Our results show that TPEs can have similar engineering stress and maximum elongation as Ecoflex OO-10. In addition, we 3D-printed airtight thin membranes (0.2-1.2 mm), which could inflate up to a stretch of 1320%. Combining the membrane's large expansion and softness with the 3D printing of hollow structures simplified the design of a bending actuator that can bend 180 degrees and reach a blocked force of 238 times its weight. In addition, by 3D printing TPE pellets and rigid filaments, the soft membrane could grasp objects by enveloping an object or as a sensorized sucker, which relied on the TPE's softness to conform to the object or act as a seal. In addition, the membrane of the sucker acted as a tactile sensor to detect an object before adhesion. These results suggest the feasibility of AM of soft robots using soft TPEs and membranes as a promising class of materials and sensorized actuators, respectively.

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Nick Willemstein, Mohammad Ebrahim Imanian, Herman van der Kooij, Ali Sadeghi. 2025-08-28. Pellet-based 3D Printing of Soft Thermoplastic Elastomeric Membranes for Soft Robotic Applications. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.matdes.2025.114589

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