Abstract
Recent research revealed that microactuators driven by pressurized fluids are able to generate high power and force densities at microscale. One of the main technological barriers in the development of these actuators is the fabrication low friction seals. This paper presents a novel scalable seal technology, which resists the actuation pressure relying on a combination of a clearance seal and a surface tension seal. This approach allows to seal pressures of more than 800 kPa without leakage. The seal is tested on an actuator with a bore of 0.8 mm² and a length of 13 mm, which was able to generate forces up to 0.32 N.
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Acknowledgments
This research was sponsored by the Research foundation—Flanders (FWO) and the Institute for the Promotion of Innovation by Science and Technology in Flanders (IWT). The authors thank P. Dendas for his help during the production process and measurements. A patent is pending on the hybrid surface tension seal technology.
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De Volder, M.F.L., Reynaerts, D. A hybrid surface tension seal for pneumatic and hydraulic microactuators. Microsyst Technol 15, 739–744 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00542-008-0756-3
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00542-008-0756-3