METHOD FOR ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING OF DIELECTRIC ELASTOMER ACTUATORS AND A PRINT HEAD FOR PERFORMING THE METHOD

摘要

The invention relates to a method for additive manufacturing of dielectric elastomer actuators and a print head that can be used in said method. Layers of a base polymer A, in which electrically conductive components are contained in a portion at which the percolation threshold is exceeded, are individually applied using the print head and thus form an electrically conductive region or such a layer. Between layers or regions containing the electrically conductive components, a dielectric layer or such a region is formed. A print head is used to form at least layers or regions which contain electrically conductive components. In the print head a base polymer A and at least one additive C, with which a sufficient viscosity reduction is attainable for printing and which transforms to the gas phase at a maximum temperature of 80 °C, are supplied in metered form and mixed therein. The mixture formed from the base polymer A and the at least one additive C is conveyed through the print head to an outlet nozzle and, after discharge, a curing/cross-linking or hardening of the base polymer A and a transition to the gas phase of the at least one additive C still contained in the-based polymer A is achieved. Thus a layer-by-layer three-dimensional constructing of an elastically deformable electrically conductive layer or such a region is attained.