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I don't see a reason why the lithography method is necessary here. One could design a manufacturing process which ties the knots mechanically, just like woven f
by dahfizz 4y ago
I don't see a reason why the lithography method is necessary here. One could design a manufacturing process which ties the knots mechanically, just like woven fabrics.
Caltech probably already has the lithography equipment and expertise on hand, so they did it that way. They aren't trying to do their research in a manufacturing-friendly way, just the way that is easiest for them.
- A_D_E_P_T 4y agoPossibly lithography was used to avoid stress concentrations and kinking, which can potentially be troublesome in mechanically-tied knots. (Presumably, especially at that scale.) With respect to knotted and woven fabrics, there's quite a lot of interesting research in "3D-woven" fabrics for high-impact applications like body armor. 3D fabrics are pinned by fibers running through the weave top-to-bottom (Z axis) and are effectively macroscopically knotted. They're also commercially available: https://compositeenvisions.com/product/fiberglass-e-glass-3d-weave-60-152-4cm-54oz-1830gsm/ https://compositeenvisions.com/product/fiberglass-e-glass-3d... Interesting stuff, but still very niche and not always clearly superior to plain woven composite materials.
- Scene_Cast2 4y agoIIRC with 3D weaves, the ratio of strands to empty space (that would get filled with epoxy in typical rigid part applications) is significantly lower.