{"paper_id":"019158aa-117c-4730-9980-e22602aec3ac","body_text":"Characterization of Fatigue Behavior of 3D Printed Pneumatic Fluidic Elastomer Actuators | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Research Article Characterization of Fatigue Behavior of 3D Printed Pneumatic Fluidic Elastomer Actuators Lorenzo Torzini, Luca Puggelli, Yary Volpe, Lapo Governi, francesco buonamici This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-4255722/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Published Journal Publication published 26 Aug, 2024 Read the published version in The International Journal of Advanced Manufacturing Technology → Version 1 posted 5 You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract Soft robots have gained significant interest over the past two decades due to their high flexibility and adaptability to various working conditions. Recent advances in engineering and innovative materials have enabled the design and production of sophisticated soft robotic systems with enhanced capabilities. Additive manufacturing has accelerated the development of soft actuators, unlocking complex kinematics, improving their effectiveness and allowing the production of task-specific actuators. 3D printed soft actuators can gain advantage of the fabricability of complex geometries to guarantee improved mobility and grasping abilities. However, challenges remain in investigating the durability of such devices. Limits of most recent advanced manufacturing methods and materials, with this respect, are still to be fully explored.In this work, bellow-type pneumatic soft actuators fabricated through Fused Filament Fabrication in thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) are tested to evaluate their fatigue behaviour. Silicone rubber casted actuators are included to provide a point of reference. The actuators integrated resistive flex sensors to monitor bending motion. Fatigue tests were performed with cycles of inflation and deflation until failure. Results showed that 3D printed TPU actuators are capable of whitstanding a significant amount of cycles before failure, ultimately being comparable with alternative fabrication technologies. Overall, this study proves the potential of the Fused Filament Fabrication process for the fabrication of durable, long-lasting pneumatic soft actuators. Soft Actuator Pneumatic Actuator 3D printing Fused Filament Fabrication Soft Material Full Text Cite Share Download PDF Status: Published Journal Publication published 26 Aug, 2024 Read the published version in The International Journal of Advanced Manufacturing Technology → Version 1 posted Editorial decision: Major Revisions Needed 30 May, 2024 Reviewers agreed at journal 16 Apr, 2024 Reviewers invited by journal 16 Apr, 2024 Editor assigned by journal 15 Apr, 2024 First submitted to journal 11 Apr, 2024 You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. As a division of Research Square Company, we’re committed to making research communication faster, fairer, and more useful. We do this by developing innovative software and high quality services for the global research community. Our growing team is made up of researchers and industry professionals working together to solve the most critical problems facing scientific publishing. Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {\"props\":{\"pageProps\":{\"initialData\":{\"identity\":\"rs-4255722\",\"acceptedTermsAndConditions\":true,\"allowDirectSubmit\":false,\"archivedVersions\":[],\"articleType\":\"Research Article\",\"associatedPublications\":[],\"authors\":[{\"id\":292062614,\"identity\":\"21fee754-a229-454c-9683-a7488026c487\",\"order_by\":0,\"name\":\"Lorenzo Torzini\",\"email\":\"\",\"orcid\":\"\",\"institution\":\"\",\"correspondingAuthor\":false,\"prefix\":\"\",\"firstName\":\"Lorenzo\",\"middleName\":\"\",\"lastName\":\"Torzini\",\"suffix\":\"\"},{\"id\":292062615,\"identity\":\"2511b255-d7c3-478a-b8fa-aaf99c9a3b2a\",\"order_by\":1,\"name\":\"Luca Puggelli\",\"email\":\"\",\"orcid\":\"\",\"institution\":\"\",\"correspondingAuthor\":false,\"prefix\":\"\",\"firstName\":\"Luca\",\"middleName\":\"\",\"lastName\":\"Puggelli\",\"suffix\":\"\"},{\"id\":292062616,\"identity\":\"bc40595d-3bb7-4ef1-9acb-766073a21801\",\"order_by\":2,\"name\":\"Yary Volpe\",\"email\":\"\",\"orcid\":\"\",\"institution\":\"\",\"correspondingAuthor\":false,\"prefix\":\"\",\"firstName\":\"Yary\",\"middleName\":\"\",\"lastName\":\"Volpe\",\"suffix\":\"\"},{\"id\":292062617,\"identity\":\"f8166ca7-82f8-4dfd-8642-92a4ab2e0fdc\",\"order_by\":3,\"name\":\"Lapo Governi\",\"email\":\"\",\"orcid\":\"\",\"institution\":\"\",\"correspondingAuthor\":false,\"prefix\":\"\",\"firstName\":\"Lapo\",\"middleName\":\"\",\"lastName\":\"Governi\",\"suffix\":\"\"},{\"id\":292062618,\"identity\":\"2283781d-37d1-4a4a-9ccf-a5eacc05e0ae\",\"order_by\":4,\"name\":\"francesco buonamici\",\"email\":\"data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAZAAAAAyAQMAAABI0h/eAAAABlBMVEX///8AAABVwtN+AAAACXBIWXMAAA7EAAAOxAGVKw4bAAABCUlEQVRIiWNgGAWjYBAC9gY4kwdCsTEwNj5gYJDgBzIasGnhOYBFS7MBUItkG1AvNj2YWkC6JICEJFA5Vmt4pA8/e/Cjok6en4H3mMTHHXbRfOyH26p5d1hI8DEwtz/ApoUvzdyw58xhw5kNfGmSM88k57bxJLbd5j0jIcGGw2H2PAxm0oxtBxIMDvCYSfO2Mee2STACtbRJ1OHSwsPD/k2a8V8dTEs9WEsxUAtOW3h4gCoZG5hhWg6DtTAT0FIm2XMM6JdmvmTLmW3HQX5plpwL0sLM2DgDu8O2SfyoAYYYe+/BGx/bqnPntx9/+OFtW52EfHv7gw9YtCAAMxEio2AUjIJRMAqIBABBolSuKveemAAAAABJRU5ErkJggg==\",\"orcid\":\"\",\"institution\":\"University of Florence: Universita degli Studi di Firenze\",\"correspondingAuthor\":true,\"prefix\":\"\",\"firstName\":\"francesco\",\"middleName\":\"\",\"lastName\":\"buonamici\",\"suffix\":\"\"}],\"badges\":[],\"createdAt\":\"2024-04-12 06:23:26\",\"currentVersionCode\":1,\"declarations\":\"\",\"doi\":\"10.21203/rs.3.rs-4255722/v1\",\"doiUrl\":\"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-4255722/v1\",\"draftVersion\":[],\"editorialEvents\":[{\"content\":\"https://doi.org/10.1007/s00170-024-14216-0\",\"type\":\"published\",\"date\":\"2024-08-26T15:56:52+00:00\"}],\"editorialNote\":\"\",\"failedWorkflow\":false,\"files\":[{\"id\":63820832,\"identity\":\"dae3c2eb-68a5-47a9-96ca-3cf890ef0536\",\"added_by\":\"auto\",\"created_at\":\"2024-09-02 16:09:15\",\"extension\":\"pdf\",\"order_by\":1,\"title\":\"\",\"display\":\"\",\"copyAsset\":false,\"role\":\"manuscript-pdf\",\"size\":5152227,\"visible\":true,\"origin\":\"\",\"legend\":\"\",\"description\":\"\",\"filename\":\"ArticleDRAFTforTIJoAMTFinal1.pdf\",\"url\":\"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-4255722/v1_covered_0e730f65-27c7-4ee7-a16b-823a3cdc157b.pdf\"}],\"financialInterests\":\"\",\"formattedTitle\":\"Characterization of Fatigue Behavior of 3D Printed Pneumatic Fluidic Elastomer Actuators\",\"fulltext\":[],\"fulltextSource\":\"\",\"fullText\":\"\",\"funders\":[],\"hasAdminPriorityOnWorkflow\":false,\"hasManuscriptDocX\":false,\"hasOptedInToPreprint\":true,\"hasPassedJournalQc\":\"\",\"hasAnyPriority\":false,\"hideJournal\":false,\"highlight\":\"\",\"institution\":\"\",\"isAcceptedByJournal\":true,\"isAuthorSuppliedPdf\":true,\"isDeskRejected\":\"\",\"isHiddenFromSearch\":false,\"isInQc\":false,\"isInWorkflow\":true,\"isPdf\":true,\"isPdfUpToDate\":true,\"isWithdrawnOrRetracted\":false,\"journal\":{\"display\":true,\"email\":\"info@researchsquare.com\",\"identity\":\"the-international-journal-of-advanced-manufacturing-technology\",\"isNatureJournal\":false,\"hasQc\":true,\"allowDirectSubmit\":false,\"externalIdentity\":\"jamt\",\"sideBox\":\"Learn more about [The International Journal of Advanced Manufacturing Technology](https://www.springer.com/journal/170)\",\"snPcode\":\"170\",\"submissionUrl\":\"https://submission.nature.com/new-submission/170/3\",\"title\":\"The International Journal of Advanced Manufacturing Technology\",\"twitterHandle\":\"\",\"acdcEnabled\":true,\"dfaEnabled\":true,\"editorialSystem\":\"em\",\"reportingPortfolio\":\"Springer Hybrid\",\"inReviewEnabled\":true,\"inReviewRevisionsEnabled\":false},\"keywords\":\"Soft Actuator, Pneumatic Actuator, 3D printing, Fused Filament Fabrication, Soft Material\",\"lastPublishedDoi\":\"10.21203/rs.3.rs-4255722/v1\",\"lastPublishedDoiUrl\":\"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-4255722/v1\",\"license\":{\"name\":\"CC BY 4.0\",\"url\":\"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/\"},\"manuscriptAbstract\":\"\\u003cp\\u003eSoft robots have gained significant interest over the past two decades due to their high flexibility and adaptability to various working conditions. Recent advances in engineering and innovative materials have enabled the design and production of sophisticated soft robotic systems with enhanced capabilities. Additive manufacturing has accelerated the development of soft actuators, unlocking complex kinematics, improving their effectiveness and allowing the production of task-specific actuators. 3D printed soft actuators can gain advantage of the fabricability of complex geometries to guarantee improved mobility and grasping abilities. However, challenges remain in investigating the durability of such devices. Limits of most recent advanced manufacturing methods and materials, with this respect, are still to be fully explored.In this work, bellow-type pneumatic soft actuators fabricated through Fused Filament Fabrication in thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) are tested to evaluate their fatigue behaviour. Silicone rubber casted actuators are included to provide a point of reference. The actuators integrated resistive flex sensors to monitor bending motion. Fatigue tests were performed with cycles of inflation and deflation until failure. Results showed that 3D printed TPU actuators are capable of whitstanding a significant amount of cycles before failure, ultimately being comparable with alternative fabrication technologies. Overall, this study proves the potential of the Fused Filament Fabrication process for the fabrication of durable, long-lasting pneumatic soft actuators.\\u003c/p\\u003e\",\"manuscriptTitle\":\"Characterization of Fatigue Behavior of 3D Printed Pneumatic Fluidic Elastomer Actuators\",\"msid\":\"\",\"msnumber\":\"\",\"nonDraftVersions\":[{\"code\":1,\"date\":\"2024-04-19 14:32:18\",\"doi\":\"10.21203/rs.3.rs-4255722/v1\",\"editorialEvents\":[{\"type\":\"communityComments\",\"content\":0},{\"type\":\"decision\",\"content\":\"Major Revisions Needed\",\"date\":\"2024-05-30T17:29:23+00:00\",\"index\":\"\",\"fulltext\":\"\"},{\"type\":\"reviewerAgreed\",\"content\":\"\",\"date\":\"2024-04-17T00:02:09+00:00\",\"index\":0,\"fulltext\":\"\"},{\"type\":\"reviewersInvited\",\"content\":\"\",\"date\":\"2024-04-16T21:37:28+00:00\",\"index\":\"\",\"fulltext\":\"\"},{\"type\":\"editorAssigned\",\"content\":\"\",\"date\":\"2024-04-15T08:20:13+00:00\",\"index\":\"\",\"fulltext\":\"\"},{\"type\":\"submitted\",\"content\":\"The International Journal of Advanced Manufacturing Technology\",\"date\":\"2024-04-12T02:23:07+00:00\",\"index\":\"\",\"fulltext\":\"\"}],\"status\":\"published\",\"journal\":{\"display\":true,\"email\":\"info@researchsquare.com\",\"identity\":\"the-international-journal-of-advanced-manufacturing-technology\",\"isNatureJournal\":false,\"hasQc\":true,\"allowDirectSubmit\":false,\"externalIdentity\":\"jamt\",\"sideBox\":\"Learn more about [The International Journal of Advanced Manufacturing Technology](https://www.springer.com/journal/170)\",\"snPcode\":\"170\",\"submissionUrl\":\"https://submission.nature.com/new-submission/170/3\",\"title\":\"The International Journal of Advanced Manufacturing Technology\",\"twitterHandle\":\"\",\"acdcEnabled\":true,\"dfaEnabled\":true,\"editorialSystem\":\"em\",\"reportingPortfolio\":\"Springer Hybrid\",\"inReviewEnabled\":true,\"inReviewRevisionsEnabled\":false}}],\"origin\":\"\",\"ownerIdentity\":\"17e09387-4468-45d6-b06b-dc1d7869fc05\",\"owner\":[],\"postedDate\":\"April 19th, 2024\",\"published\":true,\"recentEditorialEvents\":[],\"rejectedJournal\":[],\"revision\":\"\",\"amendment\":\"\",\"status\":\"published-in-journal\",\"subjectAreas\":[],\"tags\":[],\"updatedAt\":\"2024-09-02T15:59:43+00:00\",\"versionOfRecord\":{\"articleIdentity\":\"rs-4255722\",\"link\":\"https://doi.org/10.1007/s00170-024-14216-0\",\"journal\":{\"identity\":\"the-international-journal-of-advanced-manufacturing-technology\",\"isVorOnly\":false,\"title\":\"The International Journal of Advanced Manufacturing Technology\"},\"publishedOn\":\"2024-08-26 15:56:52\",\"publishedOnDateReadable\":\"August 26th, 2024\"},\"versionCreatedAt\":\"2024-04-19 14:32:18\",\"video\":\"\",\"vorDoi\":\"10.1007/s00170-024-14216-0\",\"vorDoiUrl\":\"https://doi.org/10.1007/s00170-024-14216-0\",\"workflowStages\":[]},\"version\":\"v1\",\"identity\":\"rs-4255722\",\"journalConfig\":\"researchsquare\"},\"__N_SSP\":true},\"page\":\"/article/[identity]/[[...version]]\",\"query\":{\"redirect\":\"/article/rs-4255722\",\"identity\":\"rs-4255722\",\"version\":[\"v1\"]},\"buildId\":\"8U1c8b4HqxoKbykW_rLl7\",\"isFallback\":false,\"isExperimentalCompile\":false,\"dynamicIds\":[84888],\"gssp\":true,\"scriptLoader\":[]}","source_license":"CC-BY-4.0","license_restricted":false}