Many biological attachment devices of insects, spiders and geckoes consist of arrays of hairs (setae), which are terminated by contact elements of different shapes. However, the most frequently observed shape is a thin plate-like spatula. In spite of a rather wide range of sizes and thicknesses, most spatulae of different animals are not uniform but possess a gradient in thickness. The thickness of spatulae in the longitudinal section becomes gradually thinner close to the tip. This geometrical effect is numerically explained in the present paper, by using a numerical approach for modeling the van der Waals-like adhesion and friction between the contact element and the substrate. The approach suggests that the observed tapering in the thickness is useful for improving resistance to peeling. Similarly, the existing complementary tapering in the spatula width increases the strength of the detachment process.

Pantano, A., Pugno, N., Gorb, S. (2009). An optimised tapered shape of the terminal contact elements in biological attachment devices. In Proceedings of the 12th International Conference on Fracture (ICF 12). Ottawa : ICF.

An optimised tapered shape of the terminal contact elements in biological attachment devices

PANTANO, Antonio;
2009-01-01

Abstract

Many biological attachment devices of insects, spiders and geckoes consist of arrays of hairs (setae), which are terminated by contact elements of different shapes. However, the most frequently observed shape is a thin plate-like spatula. In spite of a rather wide range of sizes and thicknesses, most spatulae of different animals are not uniform but possess a gradient in thickness. The thickness of spatulae in the longitudinal section becomes gradually thinner close to the tip. This geometrical effect is numerically explained in the present paper, by using a numerical approach for modeling the van der Waals-like adhesion and friction between the contact element and the substrate. The approach suggests that the observed tapering in the thickness is useful for improving resistance to peeling. Similarly, the existing complementary tapering in the spatula width increases the strength of the detachment process.
Settore ING-IND/14 - Progettazione Meccanica E Costruzione Di Macchine
15-lug-2009
12th International Conference on Fracture (ICF 12)
Ottawa, Canada
July 12-17, 2009
2009
00
http://www.icf12.org/e/01_index_e.shtml
http://www.icf12.org/doc-pdf/Program/ICF-program_detail.pdf
Pantano, A., Pugno, N., Gorb, S. (2009). An optimised tapered shape of the terminal contact elements in biological attachment devices. In Proceedings of the 12th International Conference on Fracture (ICF 12). Ottawa : ICF.
Proceedings (atti dei congressi)
Pantano, A; Pugno, N; Gorb, S
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Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/10447/41031
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