Interlocking metasurfaces are a recent Sandia-invented joining technology that may replace other structural joining methods, such as bolts and adhesives. Much like LEGO® bricks (see Figure 1), they are patterned, modular surfaces that constrain motion between two bodies when assembled into a larger structure. Unlike LEGO bricks, they are designed to sustain high mechanical loads. Each metasurface component precisely attaches and aligns with other metasurface components. The specific component shapes can increase the strength and stability of the individual unit cell as well as the assembled structure. Interlocking metasurfaces can serve as an impermanent joining technology for complex shapes, dissimilar materials, extreme environments in aerospace, civil engineering, micro-robotics and prosthetics.
Read more about strong and flexible interlocking metasurfaces
April 22, 2024