Polarizing Magneto-active Elastomer Using a 3d-print
Open Access
Author:
Bilyk, Michael
Area of Honors:
Electrical Engineering
Degree:
Bachelor of Science
Document Type:
Thesis
Thesis Supervisors:
Paris R Vonlockette, Thesis Supervisor Dr. Sven G Bilén, Thesis Honors Advisor
Keywords:
Magneto-Active Elastomers MAE Magnetorheological effect 3D printing Paste extrusion Origami structures
Abstract:
Magneto-active elastomer is a class of material that experiences a magnetorheological
effect; they bend in the presence of a magnetic field. This property can be exploited to create selfassembling
structures called origami structures. A difficulty in using magneto-active elastomers
in origami structures is their manufacturability. Currently, magneto-active elastomer objects are
created in a mold and magnetized in large batches. This prevents the necessary scale and control
over the magnetization required for origami structures. A 3D printer’s ability to assign properties
to three dimensional coordinates makes it a natural manufacturing solution for origami materials.
In this study, an electromagnet is integrated into a 3D printer variant, called a paste extruder, to
magnetize the material during the printing process. Samples were extruded and exposed to a
magnetic field for increasing amounts of time while curing. Data analysis shows that there is a
positive correlation between the time the electromagnet was on and the remnant magnetization of
the material.
