10 August 2021

The Department of Industrial Engineering of the University of Rome Tor Vergata has produced its biggest prototype of smart grabbing device with shape memory polymer composites (SMPC) activated through external heating system. The prototype has a modular structure made of carbon fiber reinforced (CFR) “hands” and a pentagonal base, and shape memory polymer composite (SMPC) hinges. Compression molding was used to manufacture carbon fiber laminates with and without interposed shape memory layer. The proposed architecture allows to obtain a reliable structure able to grab and maintain medium size objects also with complex shapes. External power supply device was used to provide the required voltage (23 V) to the external heating system in the form of flexible heaters fixed on the external surface of the SMPC hinges to allow their memory and recovery steps. Different tests were performed to evaluate both the recovery and the grabbing abilities of the device.