The processing of multilayer dielectric elastomers (DE) allows to improve the structural integrity of dielectric elastomer transducers (DET) and facilitates novel transducer concepts. In particular, the buckling dielectric elastomer transducer (BDET) is a promising loudspeaker concept with good performance and simple design. This presentation gives an overview about recent advances in the manufacturing and theoretical description, which allow optimization of the loudspeaker.
Dielectric elastomer transducers (DET) progressively attract attention in research and industry. One major reason is their diverse use as actuator, sensor or generator. For manufacturing a DE stack-transducer for example, first, multilayer DE laminates consisting of several DE layers are produced. The submodules are cut out from the DE laminate and can then be stacked to a DE stack-transducer. In order to minimize the scrap rate, increase the productivity, and monitor the manufacturing process testing of multilayered composites during manufacturing process could be favorable. The proposed test approach within this contribution is capacitancebased, versatile applicable, and can be used to test DE laminates or DE submodules. An electrical voltage vtest is applied to additionally added external electrodes (anode and cathode), exposing the multilayer composite to an electric field per layer of EDE. The testing voltage is chosen in such a way that the testing electric field strength holds the relation EDE < Etest < Ecrit. Hence, it is selected in between the operation field strength EDE and the critical field strength Ecrit. If two electrode layers inside the DET are conductively connected due to a defect in production, a breakdown may occur. The production quality of the DE composite can be determined by measuring the capacitive behavior before and after applying the high voltage as well as compare these to the analytical calculated capacitance. In this way, faulty DE submodules may be detected by scanning the DE laminate at multiple positions. A test procedure to prove the dielectric properties, to improve the production quality, and thus to reduce the scrap rate is proposed. Methodologically, an analytical approach and FEM-based simulation are used to compare various concepts and to design a test approach. First measurements prove the developed testing approach.
In this contribution, 3D printing of elastomer layers is investigated. 3D printing gains emerging interest due to its versatility in geometry as well as the ability of producing thin layers and therefore is a promising fabrication method for dielectric elastomer transducers (DETs). Direct Ink Writing (DIW) is a specific type of 3D printing based on the extrusion of fluidic elastomer with middle viscosity, which is the used printing technology in this work. The printing requirements for DETs are defined and by varying the process parameters, printing tests are conducted. Finally, the layers are analyzed and the results are discussed. The main results are printing of a single layer elastomer with 40 µm thickness and three elastomer layers printed on top of each other.
Transducers based on dielectric elastomers (DEs) consist of a polymer as dielectric between two compliant electrodes and can convert electrical into mechanical energy and vice versa. The geometry significantly determines the performance of DEs, which is mainly reflected by the static and dynamic behavior of pressure and strain. The goal of multilayered dielectric elastomer stack-transducers (DETs) is to maximize the force while maintaining a reasonable deflection. To scale the voltage down to 1 kV the thickness of the elastomeric film must be reduced. For this purpose, a roll-to-sheet lamination process has been adopted by modifying an existing process in order to use elastomeric films with a thickness of 20 µ m, applied with electric field strength up to 50 V/ µ m. In a first step, 10 films are laminated in a semi-automated process resulting in submodules. Fully functional submodules are stacked to form a multilayered stack-transducer up to hundreds of thin films. The production process can be divided into 5 partial processes which are described in detail. The goal of each manufacturing step as well as challenges are presented. With this outline, the outcome of the mentioned manufacturing approach of thin film-based multilayered DE stack-transducers is investigated. The roll-to-sheet lamination approach to produce DETs via submodules provides a good basis for further research in this field.
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