Designing for compliance at the microscale: DfAM lessons from a 2PP-printed bellows structure for sensing and actuation
Abstract
ABSTRACT: AM enables the design of compliant mechanisms that encode functions directly into geometry. Existing DfAM frameworks rarely address microscale AM, such as two-photon polymerisation (2PP). We present the design process of an airtight, monolithic bellows structure in rigid 2PP resin that serves both as a sensor and an actuator. Through co-evolution of problem and solution, we identify 2PP-specific design considerations and opportunities, including fabrication uncertainties, cross-scale iteration, and design for post-processing, contributing to a case-based DfAM framework for microscale AM.
Fields of Study & Subjects
Advanced Materials and Mechanics
Nonlinear Optical Materials Studies
Advanced Sensor and Energy Harvesting Materials
Publication details
- Journal / source
- Proceedings of the Design Society
- Publisher
- Cambridge University Press (CUP)
- Volume
- 6
- Pages
- 2133–2140
- Publication date
- 2 July 2026
- Language
- EN