Torsional Buckling by Joining Prestrained and Unstrained Elastomeric Strips With Application as Bilinear Elastic Spring

Abstract

Controlled formation of complex three-dimensional (3D) geometries has always attracted wide interest especially in micro/nanoscale where traditional fabrication techniques fail to apply. Recent advances employed buckling as a promising complementary assembling technique and the method can be used for high-performance electronics materials, such as silicon. This paper describes a new buckling pattern generated by joining multiple prestrained and unstrained elastomeric strips. After releasing, periodic twisting of the system along the releasing direction is generated and bilinear force–displacement relationship is revealed from finite element analysis (FEA). The finding enriches the classes of geometries that can be achieved from structural buckling. Also, compared to other buckling phenomena, the lateral dimension of the system does not change during the buckling process, which makes the structure perfect for elastic spring elements that can be arranged closely to each other without interference.