Table of Contents
MIT Scientists Utilize Kirigami Techniques to Create Robust yet Lightweight Materials
Researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology have employed kirigami, an ancient Japanese craft of paper cutting and folding, to fabricate materials with remarkable strength and low weight. These materials, whose mechanical characteristics such as rigidity and elasticity can be adjusted, hold potential applications in sectors like aerospace, automotive manufacturing, and aviation.
Leveraging methods from traditional Japanese paper art, the team produced metallic lattices that are not only robust but also lighter than cork, with mechanical properties that can be tailored to specific needs.
The Role of Cellular Solids in Material Science
Materials made up of interconnected cellular networks, like honeycombs, display mechanical properties that are heavily influenced by the configuration of these cells. Natural substances like bones are lightweight and demonstrate strength and rigidity, thanks to their cellular structure.
Drawing inspiration from such naturally occurring cellular materials, human-engineered “architected materials” have been developed. Adjusting the geometrical characteristics of the cellular units that comprise these materials allows for customization of their mechanical, thermal, or acoustic properties. These materials find applications ranging from protective foam packaging to thermal control systems.
Innovations in Material Architecture at MIT
MIT researchers have now succeeded in scaling up the manufacture of a specific type of high-performance architected material, known as a plate lattice, through the use of kirigami. Their methodology enables the creation of custom-shaped structures made of metal or other substances, offering tailored mechanical properties.
Professor Neil Gershenfeld, who heads the Center for Bits and Atoms at MIT and is a senior contributor to a new research paper, describes this breakthrough material as “steel cork” — lighter than cork but displaying high tensile strength and rigidity.
The team implemented a modular method of construction, where several smaller components were shaped, folded, and then assembled into three-dimensional structures. The resulting structures are extraordinarily lightweight and strong and are capable of maintaining their form under specific loads.
The engineered structures can be manipulated via a system of pulleys, motors, and steel wires that are tensioned across compliant surfaces. This enables the structure to be flexible in multiple directions.
Due to their low weight, high strength, and stiffness, as well as ease of mass production on a larger scale, these structures offer particular advantages for applications in architecture, automotive manufacturing, and aerospace.
Challenges and Future Directions
While plate lattices are incredibly strong and rigid, their intricate geometric shapes make them difficult to fabricate through traditional methods such as 3D printing, especially for large-scale engineering projects. MIT’s approach using kirigami has overcome these hurdles, facilitating the production of aluminum structures with a compression strength of over 62 kilonewtons and a weight of just 90 kilograms per square meter.
Despite the effectiveness of their method, the researchers acknowledge its computational complexity and intend to create user-friendly Computer-Aided Design tools for the kirigami plate lattice structures. Further research will also be conducted to reduce computational costs associated with the design process.
The application of this technology has significant potential not just in aviation, automotive, and aerospace industries but also in the construction sector, where it can revolutionize the use of materials, shifting from heavy steel and concrete to lightweight lattices.
Contributors and Funding
The research was led by Professor Neil Gershenfeld and included contributions from co-lead authors Alfonso Parra Rubio, a research assistant at the Center for Bits and Atoms, and Klara Mundilova, an MIT graduate student in electrical engineering and computer science. Financial support for the project came partially from the Center for Bits and Atoms Research Consortia, an AAUW International Fellowship, and a GWI Fay Weber Grant.
The work has been presented at the ASME’s Computers and Information in Engineering Conference and is documented in a paper titled “Kirigami Corrugations: Strong, Modular, and Programmable Plate Lattices.”
Reference: “Kirigami Corrugations: Strong, Modular, and Programmable Plate Lattices” by Alfonso Parra Rubio, Klara Mundilova, David Preiss, Erik D. Demaine and Neil Gershenfeld, DETC2023.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about Kirigami in Material Engineering
What is the primary innovation of the MIT researchers in the field of materials engineering?
The primary innovation lies in utilizing kirigami, an ancient Japanese art of folding and cutting paper, to engineer lightweight yet ultrastrong materials with customizable mechanical properties such as stiffness and flexibility.
What are the potential applications of these kirigami-inspired materials?
These materials have a wide range of applications, including in aerospace components, automotive parts, and architectural structures, owing to their lightweight, strong, and customizable features.
What is the significance of using kirigami in this research?
Kirigami enables the modification of material’s unit cells to customize its mechanical, thermal, or acoustic properties. This approach allows for the creation of structures with unparalleled strength and low weight, which are also scalable for larger applications.
How do these kirigami-engineered materials compare to existing materials like cork or steel?
The kirigami-engineered materials are described as being lighter than cork yet possessing strength and stiffness akin to steel. This makes them remarkably efficient in terms of material performance.
What manufacturing challenges did the researchers overcome?
The researchers overcame the challenge of fabricating complex shapes like plate lattices by using kirigami techniques. They developed a modular construction process that allows for the assembly of many smaller components into 3D shapes.
What is the role of cellular solids in this research?
Cellular solids like honeycombs and bones inspire the concept of engineered or architected materials. The shape and arrangement of the cells within these materials significantly determine their mechanical properties.
How do the researchers plan to improve this technology in the future?
The researchers intend to develop user-friendly CAD design tools for these kirigami plate lattice structures and explore methods to reduce the computational costs of simulating a design that yields desired properties.
Who funded this research?
The research was funded, in part, by the Center for Bits and Atoms Research Consortia, an AAUW International Fellowship, and a GWI Fay Weber Grant.
Who were the key individuals involved in this research?
Key individuals include Professor Neil Gershenfeld, who leads the Center for Bits and Atoms (CBA) at MIT, co-lead authors Alfonso Parra Rubio and Klara Mundilova, and MIT professors David Preiss and Erik D. Demaine.
Are there any aesthetic or artistic applications for these materials?
Yes, aside from their industrial applications, these kirigami-engineered structures have also been used to create large-scale, folded artworks displayed at the MIT Media Lab.
More about Kirigami in Material Engineering
- MIT’s Center for Bits and Atoms
- ASME’s Computers and Information in Engineering Conference
- AAUW International Fellowship
- GWI Fay Weber Grant
- Kirigami in Material Science Publications
- Introduction to Architected Materials
- Overview of Cellular Solids
- Zund Cutting Table Technology
