Constitutive Modeling and Experimental Validation of Thermoplastic Polyurethane for Additively Manufactured Industrial Manipulators

Resumo

Thermoplastic polyurethanes (TPUs) are elastomeric materials with nonlinear, rate-dependent mechanical behavior, making them attractive candidates for use in soft robotic components. This study aims to characterize and experimentally validate a three-dimensional constitutive model for TPU, targeting its application in the design of industrial manipulators manufactured through additive processes. The modeling framework incorporates phenomena such as hysteresis, relaxation, creep, and the Mullins effect through visco-hyperelastic formulations. Uniaxial tensile and compression tests will be conducted using specimens fabricated in accordance with ISO 37:2017, enabling the extraction of key material parameters such as Young’s modulus, yield stress, and strain rate sensitivity. The collected data will be used to calibrate constitutive models such as Mooney-Rivlin and Bergstrom-Boyce, which will then be implemented in finite element simulations. The validated model will support the design of flexible TPU-based manipulators subjected to complex loading conditions in automated environments.