The teaching of structural stiffness is one of the keystones of the undergraduate curriculum in mechanics and the strength of materials. Standard linear theory, going back to Hooke's law, has proven to be very successful in predicting the performance of elastic structures under load. Many courses in basic mechanics have a conventional laboratory component often involving a universal testing machine and extensometer. However, the advent of 3D printing presents an appealing pedagogical opportunity mid-way between theory and a formal lab experience. The material contained in this paper focuses on using the 3D printing of relatively simple, flexible cantilever structures. The relatively high resolution of modern 3D printers facilitates the production of slender (elastically deformable) structures, and thus provides an opportunity to exploit geometric parametric variations to enhance a practical understanding of fundamental mechanics concepts such as stiffness. This approach has proved successful in initial inclusion in both the classroom via demonstration models, as well as in the lab in which elementary facilities can be utilized to acquire data. The boundary conditions associated with a cantilever, and the application of a point force are especially simple to produce in practice, and provide an effective tactile demonstration of the influence of geometrical changes on the relation between force and deflection, i.e., stiffness.
Skip Nav Destination
Comparative structural stiffness: Exploiting 3D-printing
Article navigation
December 2020
PAPERS|
December 01 2020
Comparative structural stiffness: Exploiting 3D-printing
Lawrence N. Virgin
Lawrence N. Virgin
a)
Department of Mechanical Engineering and Material Science, Duke
University
, Durham, North Carolina 27708-0300
Search for other works by this author on:
Am. J. Phys. 88, 1049–1058 (2020)
Article history
Received:
March 24 2020
Accepted:
July 29 2020
Citation
Lawrence N. Virgin; Comparative structural stiffness: Exploiting 3D-printing. Am. J. Phys. 1 December 2020; 88 (12): 1049–1058. https://doi.org/10.1119/10.0001756
Download citation file:
Pay-Per-View Access
$40.00
Sign In
You could not be signed in. Please check your credentials and make sure you have an active account and try again.
Citing articles via
Ergodic Lagrangian dynamics in a superhero universe
I. L. Tregillis, George R. R. Martin
All objects and some questions
Charles H. Lineweaver, Vihan M. Patel
The most efficient thermodynamic cycle under general engine constraints
Christopher Ong, Shaun Quek
The spinorial ball: A macroscopic object of spin-1/2
Samuel Bernard-Bernardet, Emily Dumas, et al.
A story with twists and turns: How to control the rotation of the notched stick
Martin Luttmann, Michel Luttmann
Related Content
Sympathetic resonance
Am. J. Phys. (June 2018)
Extreme stiffness systems due to negative stiffness elements
American Journal of Physics (January 2004)
Hooke's Law and the Stiffness of a Plastic Spoon
Phys. Teach. (November 2012)
Experimental realization of an additively manufactured monatomic lattice for studying wave propagation
Am. J. Phys. (January 2023)
3D-Printed Labs: A Force Table and Simple Pulleys
Phys. Teach. (December 2021)