The Polymer Society of Korea

Abstract

We propose material and process solutions to expand the application of fiber reinforced polymers as lightweight structural materials to deployable structures in robotics and aerospace components, enabling flexible bending while maintaining high structural performance. This study proposes a multi-resin dispensing process that combines rigid and flexible epoxy resins, allowing for the precise patterning of mechanical properties within a monolithic structure. It overcomes the limitations of traditional single-resin systems, enabling selective control of rigidity and flexibility within the monolithic composite. We achieve flexible bending without compromising the structural integrity required for advanced deployable structures in various applications including rigid-soft robotics applications. The successful fabrication of a triangulated cylindrical origami (TCO) structure demonstrates the potential of our approach to produce durable, high-performance FRP composites.