Measuring Strain and Temperature within 3D Printed Components

Alternative vehicles that utilize 3D printed components face unique challenges with manufacturing and model validation. To advance the understanding of such applications, Local Motors and Luna Innovations embedded high definition fiber optic sensors within structures made with a large-scale area manufacturing machine to provide distributed strain and temperature measurements during and after the printing process.

Luna engineers performed experiments to determine how altering the print layer times affected residual strain throughout the structure to best minimize warping in larger prints. They embedded sensors within printed components, which provided internal temperature monitoring during manufacturing and residual strain measurements after structures fully cooled.

The findings from this project will be presented in the "Measuring Strain and Temperature within 3D Printed Components" session at 3:30 p.m. June 20 at the JEC Forum Chicago.

Once embedded, the sensors can provide stain measurements during loading for model validation as well as monitoring the health of a vehicle throughout its lifecycle.

Luna can help your organization measure and validate strain and temperature in new materials and complex structures. Check out our white paper today!