3D Printed Lattices Can Sense Damage Before Failure

Researchers at the University of Glasgow 3D printed 48 mm Voronoi lattices from carbon nanotube-doped resin and used electrical impedance tomography (EIT) to track crack formation and growth in real time. The method can detect damage before a structure ultimately fails.

• 48 mm Voronoi lattices were printed from carbon nanotube-doped resin
• EIT builds a conductivity map and reveals conductivity loss at damage sites
• The algorithm tracked cracks up to one strut away from the fracture
• The approach could enable structural health monitoring in aviation and shipbuilding