Design and Fabrication of a Flexible Load Sensing Structure for Testing Mechanical Properties of Nanostructures

• Jeremy Harris
• Luke Zanoni
• Ivan Ramirez
• Qiuyuan Luo
• Ningmu Cao

Nanostructures are smaller than the diameter of a human hair, yet have exceptional properties that can be used in engineering designs of the future. Practical applications include nanospring additives in concrete and carbon nanotube reinforced polymers. In the past, testing the mechanical properties of nanostructures has been a challenge, but with advances in manufacturing technology, creating a high-accuracy nanoscale testing platform is now possible. Using 3D printing technology and beam mechanics principles, a flexible structure capable of sensing nanoscale loads can be designed to test the strength of nanostructures. In this project, a scalable spring-like model was designed using beam mechanics principles. Using a finite element method (FEM) analysis, a theoretical concept with a specified target stiffness was estimated by hand calculations. Using SolidWorks, a 3D modeling software, and ANSYS, an FEM software, the concept was refined and a 3D model was designed. A macroscale physical prototype was 3D printed at the UIC Makerspace. The prototype was subjected to physical load testing to confirm the design met target stiffness criteria. Once the concept was confirmed at a macroscale, the prototype was scaled down to fit within a 2cm x 2cm microscope bed and respond to loadings in the nanonewton range (nN). The ultimate goal of the project was to complete one iteration of prototype design for a flexible, nanoscale load sensing structure.