Interface design for DE based stack-actuators considering various application cases

Transducers based on dielectric elastomers (DE) are able to fulfill various requirements as generator, sensor and actuator applications. Depending on the application their design implementation differs. An advantageous transducer topology to improve the strain and force are DE stack-transducers which consist of multiple layers of DE films coated with a compliant electrode. Their actuation behavior is strongly depended on the total number of layers and the mechanical interface to its environment. Considering different application cases customized actuator designs are proposed and the utilized manufacturing process is briefly presented. Within this publication a FE model is used to simulate the deformation under consideration of various mechanical boundaries. After-wards, experimental investigations are conducted to verify the simulation results. Actuator configurations with different mechanical interfaces are analyzed regarding their static actuation behavior. Furthermore, dynamic tests were conducted to show differences between actuators made from silicone and polyurethane (PUR). In summary, the tests confirm the results of the FE analysis and provide promising results appropriate for various future applications. © (2016) COPYRIGHT Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers (SPIE). Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.