Additive Manufacturing of Microcantilevers of Varying Stiffnesses for Sensing Applications

Abstract

Fabrication of the microcantilevers using the traditional methods is time-consuming and costly. With the advancement of additive manufacturing methods, the fabrication of functional microcantilevers is possible. This work presents the fabrication of elastomeric microcantilevers using the SLA 3D printing technology. Different microcantilevers are fabricated. The mechanical characteristics of the fabricated cantilevers are identified by performing micromechanical tests. Results show that the cantilevers’ measured stiffnesses are comparable with those reported in the literature. The method explained in this work reveals the possibility of employing SLA 3D printing and soft elastomeric printing materials to fabricate microcantilevers.