A flexible strain sensor for precision casting

Abstract

This utility model relates to the field of flexible sensor technology and discloses a flexible strain sensor for precision casting. The flexible strain sensor has a substrate, an adhesive layer, a conductive layer, and an encapsulation layer. The substrate is a spin-coated flexible structure. The adhesive layer is a spin-coated flexible structure on the substrate. The conductive layer is a spray-coated carbon nanotube material on the adhesive layer, with wires connected to both ends of the conductive layer. The encapsulation layer is a spin-coated flexible structure on the adhesive layer, the conductive layer, and the wires. This utility model is beneficial for improving flexibility and strain detection sensitivity.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of flexible sensor technology, specifically to a flexible strain sensor for precision casting. Background Technology

[0002] In the field of precision casting, wax models are a common type of casting model. During the transfer of wax models, mechanical claws are usually used to grip them. Due to the low hardness and poor strength of wax models, they are easily deformed or damaged due to excessive gripping force during the gripping process.

[0003] To address the aforementioned technical challenges, the industry typically employs flexible sensors attached to robotic grippers. When the gripper deforms during grasping, the flexible sensor attached to it also deforms accordingly. By controlling the amount of deformation, the force exerted by the gripper can be controlled, thereby reducing the risk of damage and deformation to the wax model.

[0004] However, existing flexible sensors have high rigidity and a small deformation range, making it difficult to fit curved surfaces and detect minute strains, resulting in poor application performance. Utility Model Content

[0005] The technical objective of this invention is to address the shortcomings of the prior art by providing a flexible strain sensor for precision casting that improves flexibility and strain detection sensitivity.

[0006] The technical solution adopted in this utility model is as follows:

[0007] A flexible strain sensor for precision casting, the flexible strain sensor having a substrate, an adhesive layer, a conductive layer and an encapsulation layer;

[0008] The substrate is a flexible structure formed by spin coating;

[0009] The adhesive layer is a flexible structure spin-coated onto the substrate;

[0010] The conductive layer is a carbon nanotube material sprayed onto the adhesive layer, and wires are connected to both ends of the conductive layer.

[0011] The encapsulation layer is a flexible structure spin-coated onto the adhesive layer, the conductive layer, and the wire.

[0012] The flexible structure of the substrate, adhesive layer, and encapsulation layer in the aforementioned technical measures enables the flexible strain sensor to better adapt to deformations such as bending and stretching, thus improving its flexibility. The conductive layer, a carbon nanotube material spray-coated onto the adhesive layer, offers several advantages: firstly, it facilitates operation and adapts to large-area or complex surface shapes; secondly, the spray-coating structure ensures good thickness uniformity of the conductive layer on the adhesive layer, reducing the problem of excessive or insufficient thickness in certain areas; thirdly, the spray-coating structure ensures a tight bond between the conductive layer and the adhesive layer, preventing detachment and improving stability; and fourthly, carbon nanotubes possess excellent conductivity and high strain sensitivity, which enhances the strain detection sensitivity of the flexible strain sensor. The spin-coating structure of the substrate, adhesive layer, and encapsulation layer further improves thickness uniformity and reduces the problem of excessive or insufficient thickness in certain areas.

[0013] Furthermore, the conductive layer has an overlapping structure.

[0014] In the above-mentioned technical measures, the conductive layer has an overlapping structure, which can increase the content of carbon nanotubes and improve the strain detection sensitivity of the flexible strain sensor.

[0015] Furthermore, the thickness of the substrate is 0.35 mm to 0.45 mm.

[0016] The above-mentioned technical measures, by controlling the thickness of the substrate, can improve flexibility while ensuring the structural strength of the substrate.

[0017] Furthermore, the thickness of the adhesive layer is 0.05mm to 0.15mm.

[0018] The above-mentioned technical measures, by controlling the thickness of the adhesive layer, can ensure effective bonding between the substrate and the conductive layer, and increase the adhesion of the conductive layer, while also reducing the overall thickness and avoiding affecting flexibility.

[0019] Furthermore, the thickness of the encapsulation layer is 0.05mm to 0.15mm.

[0020] The above-mentioned technical measures, by controlling the thickness of the encapsulation layer, can effectively protect the internal structure from external influences while reducing the overall thickness and avoiding affecting flexibility.

[0021] Furthermore, the substrate is made of silicone.

[0022] In the above technical measures, the substrate is made of silicone, which is easy to process, facilitates the molding of the substrate, and also helps to improve the flexibility and durability of the substrate.

[0023] Furthermore, the adhesive layer is made of silicone.

[0024] The adhesive layer of the above-mentioned technical measures is made of silicone, which is easy to process and facilitates the molding of the adhesive layer. It also helps to improve the flexibility and durability of the adhesive layer.

[0025] Furthermore, the encapsulation layer is made of silicone.

[0026] The encapsulation layer of the above-mentioned technical measures is made of silicone, which is easy to process and facilitates the molding of the encapsulation layer. It also helps to improve the flexibility and durability of the encapsulation layer, thereby improving the overall performance of the flexible strain sensor.

[0027] Furthermore, the wire is connected to the conductive layer via conductive silver paste.

[0028] In the above technical measures, the conductor is connected to the conductive layer through conductive silver paste, which can achieve a stable and reliable electrical connection, which is conducive to ensuring stable and accurate signal transmission. At the same time, the conductive silver paste has good conductivity and adhesion, which is conducive to improving the connection stability between the conductor and the conductive layer.

[0029] Furthermore, the conductor is made of multiple copper wires twisted together.

[0030] In the above-mentioned technical measures, the conductor is made of multiple copper wires twisted together, which helps to improve the flexibility and mechanical strength of the conductor, enabling the conductor to adapt to the deformation generated by the flexible strain sensor during use; at the same time, copper wire has good conductivity, which is beneficial to signal transmission.

[0031] One or more technical solutions provided by this utility model have at least the following technical effects or advantages:

[0032] The flexible structure of the substrate, adhesive layer, and encapsulation layer in this invention enables the flexible strain sensor to better adapt to bending, stretching, and other deformations, thus improving its flexibility. The conductive layer is a carbon nanotube material spray-coated structure on the adhesive layer. This structure offers several advantages: firstly, it facilitates operation and can adapt to large-area or complex surface shapes; secondly, the spray-coating structure ensures good thickness uniformity of the conductive layer on the adhesive layer, reducing the problem of excessive or insufficient thickness in certain areas; thirdly, the spray-coating structure ensures a tight bond between the conductive layer and the adhesive layer, preventing detachment and improving stability; and fourthly, carbon nanotubes possess excellent conductivity and high strain sensitivity, which enhances the strain detection sensitivity of the flexible strain sensor. The spin-coating structure of the substrate, adhesive layer, and encapsulation layer further improves thickness uniformity and reduces the problem of excessive or insufficient thickness in certain areas. Attached Figure Description

[0033] The accompanying drawings, which are provided to further illustrate the embodiments of the present invention and constitute a part of the present invention, do not constitute a limitation thereof.

[0034] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of this utility model;

[0035] Figure 2 This is a disassembled structural diagram of one of the structures of this utility model;

[0036] Among them, 1-substrate; 2-adhesive layer; 3-conductive layer; 4-encapsulation layer; 5-wire; 6-conductive silver paste. Detailed Implementation

[0037] To better understand the above-mentioned objectives, features, and advantages of this utility model, the present utility model will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments. It should be noted that, where there is no conflict, the embodiments of this utility model and the features within them can be combined with each other.

[0038] Many specific details are set forth in the following description in order to provide a full understanding of the present invention. However, the present invention may also be implemented in other ways different from those described herein. Therefore, the scope of protection of the present invention is not limited to the specific embodiments disclosed below.

[0039] Example 1

[0040] Reference Figures 1-2 This embodiment provides a flexible strain sensor for precision casting.

[0041] The flexible strain sensor has a substrate 1, an adhesive layer 2, a conductive layer 3, and an encapsulation layer 4;

[0042] Substrate 1 is a flexible structure formed by spin coating; the thickness of substrate 1 is approximately 0.4 mm. Substrate 1 is made of silicone.

[0043] The substrate 1 can be made of platinum-cured silicone using Dragon Skin 10 Slow.

[0044] The adhesive layer 2 is a flexible structure spin-coated onto the substrate 1; the thickness of the adhesive layer 2 is approximately 0.1 mm. The adhesive layer 2 is made of silicone.

[0045] The adhesive layer 2 can be made of Ecoflex 00-30 silicone.

[0046] The conductive layer 3 is a carbon nanotube material sprayed onto the adhesive layer 2, and the conductive layer 3 is an overlapping structure.

[0047] Conductive layer 3 is connected to two ends by wires 5; the wires 5 are connected to conductive layer 3 through conductive silver paste 6. The wires 5 are made of multiple copper wires twisted together.

[0048] The encapsulation layer 4 is a flexible structure spin-coated onto the adhesive layer 2, conductive layer 3, and wire 5. The thickness of the encapsulation layer 4 is approximately 0.1 mm. The encapsulation layer 4 is made of silicone.

[0049] Among them, the encapsulation layer 4 can be made of Ecoflex 00-30 silicone.

[0050] When fabricating a flexible strain sensor, a circular iron disc is prepared according to actual needs. To facilitate demolding, a release agent is sprayed onto the disc. The substrate 1 is made using Dragon Skin 10 Slow platinum-curing silicone. Dragon Skin 10 Slow platinum-curing silicone is a two-component silicone; the two components are mixed in a 1:1 weight ratio and placed in a spin coater. The circular iron disc is placed on the spin coater, and substrate 1 is fabricated using a spin coating method at 400 rpm for 80 seconds. After spin coating, the circular iron disc and the silicone on it are placed in an oven and heated at 70°C for 30 minutes to cure the silicone, completing the fabrication of substrate 1. The adhesive layer 2 is made using Ecoflex 00-30 silicone. 00-30 silicone is a two-component silicone. The two components are mixed in a 1:1 weight ratio and placed in a spin coater. A circular iron disc with substrate 1 is placed on the spin coater, and adhesive layer 2 is created using spin coating at 1200 rpm for 80 seconds. After spin coating, adhesive layer 2 is complete. 0.2g of carbon nanotubes is obtained and poured into an ultrasonic cell disruptor. 100ml of isoacetone is added to allow for initial mixing of the carbon nanotubes and isoacetone. The ultrasonic cell disruptor parameters are adjusted, using a No. 6 amplitude transformer, setting the output power to 30%, and the ultrasonic on-time to 4 seconds. The ultrasonic shut-off time was 4 seconds, and the working time was 45 minutes, yielding 100 ml of carbon nanotube solution with a carbon nanotube content of 2 mg / ml, thus completing the fabrication of the carbon nanotube material. The carbon nanotube material was placed in a 1.3 mm spray gun, a mask was pre-fabricated, and a release agent was sprayed onto the surface of the mask in contact with adhesive layer 2. The heating plate was then attached to the dispensing machine stage. The starting position was marked, ensuring a distance of approximately 70 mm between the spray gun nozzle and adhesive layer 2. Spraying began, and after one layer was sprayed, the solute in the carbon nanotube solution was allowed to evaporate. Once the carbon nanotube solution was completely dry, the second layer was sprayed. When the tenth layer was sprayed, the silicone in adhesive layer 2 no longer possessed adhesiveness and fluidity. The heating plate was then turned up to 90°C to accelerate the drying process of the carbon nanotube solution. In this experiment, 40 layers of carbon nanotube solution needed to be sprayed. After spraying, remove the mask, being careful not to touch the carbon nanotubes to avoid contaminating the resistors, thus completing the fabrication of conductive layer 3. Use a scraper to apply conductive silver paste 6 to the copper wire of conductor 5, ensuring good contact between the conductive silver paste 6 and the copper wire. Then, attach conductor 5 to conductive layer 3. After attaching, place the round iron plate in an oven and heat at 120°C for 30 minutes to complete the bonding of conductor 5. In this process, the conductive silver paste 6 acts similarly to the welding core in welding, bonding the carbon nanotube layer to the copper core.Ecoflex 00-30 silicone was used to create the encapsulation layer 4. The Ecoflex 00-30 silicone was placed in a spin coater, and a circular iron plate was placed on the spin coater. The free end of the wire 5 was fixed on the iron plate to avoid friction and collision between the wire 5 and the spin coater. The encapsulation layer 4 was created by spin coating at a speed of 1200 r / s for 80 seconds. After spin coating, it was left at room temperature for more than 4 hours to allow the encapsulation layer 4 to fully cure. After curing, the substrate 1 was removed from the circular iron plate and cut according to the position of the conductive layer 3 with a scribe to obtain multiple flexible strain sensors. A protective sleeve was then used to bond the connection between the wire 5 and the conductive layer 3 with silicone. The conductive silver paste 6 was completely covered to provide additional protection for the connection and ensure the stability of the bonding joint during the stretching process of the flexible strain sensor.

[0051] Example 2

[0052] The rest of the content of this embodiment is the same as that of embodiment 1, except that:

[0053] The thickness of the substrate is approximately 0.35 mm.

[0054] The thickness of the adhesive layer is approximately 0.05 mm.

[0055] The thickness of the encapsulation layer is approximately 0.05 mm.

[0056] Example 3

[0057] The rest of the content of this embodiment is the same as that of embodiment 1, except that:

[0058] The thickness of the substrate is approximately 0.45 mm.

[0059] The thickness of the adhesive layer is approximately 0.15 mm.

[0060] The thickness of the encapsulation layer is approximately 0.15 mm.

[0061] Although preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described, those skilled in the art, upon learning the basic inventive concept, can make other changes and modifications to these embodiments. Therefore, the appended claims are intended to be interpreted as including the preferred embodiments as well as all changes and modifications falling within the scope of the present invention.

[0062] Obviously, those skilled in the art can make various modifications and variations to this utility model without departing from its spirit and scope. Therefore, if these modifications and variations fall within the scope of the claims of this utility model and their equivalents, this utility model also intends to include these modifications and variations.

Claims

1. A flexible strain sensor for precision casting, characterized in that: The flexible strain sensor has a substrate (1), an adhesive layer (2), a conductive layer (3), and an encapsulation layer (4). The substrate (1) is a flexible structure formed by spin coating; The adhesive layer (2) is a flexible structure spin-coated onto the substrate (1); The conductive layer (3) is a carbon nanotube material sprayed onto the adhesive layer (2), and the two ends of the conductive layer (3) are connected with wires (5). The encapsulation layer (4) is a spin-coated structure of a flexible structure on the adhesive layer (2), the conductive layer (3) and the wire (5).

2. The flexible strain sensor for precision casting according to claim 1, characterized in that: The conductive layer (3) has an overlapping structure.

3. The flexible strain sensor for precision casting according to claim 1, characterized in that: The thickness of the substrate (1) is 0.35 mm to 0.45 mm.

4. The flexible strain sensor for precision casting according to claim 1, characterized in that: The thickness of the adhesive layer (2) is 0.05mm to 0.15mm.

5. The flexible strain sensor for precision casting according to claim 1, characterized in that: The thickness of the encapsulation layer (4) is 0.05 mm to 0.15 mm.

6. The flexible strain sensor for precision casting according to claim 1, characterized in that: The substrate (1) is made of silicone.

7. The flexible strain sensor for precision casting according to claim 1, characterized in that: The adhesive layer (2) is made of silicone.

8. The flexible strain sensor for precision casting according to claim 1, characterized in that: The encapsulation layer (4) is made of silicone.

9. The flexible strain sensor for precision casting according to claim 1, characterized in that: The wire (5) is connected to the conductive layer (3) via conductive silver paste (6).

10. The flexible strain sensor for precision casting according to claim 1 or 9, characterized in that: The conductor (5) is made of multiple copper wires twisted together.

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