Manufacturing Complex Airtight Soft Pneumatic Actuators for Soft Robotics: Process Evaluation and Optimization

This research paper evaluates various fabrication methods for complex soft pneumatic actuators, including heat-shrink forming, silicone casting, powder-based additive manufacturing, and fused deposition modeling (FDM). The study assesses these processes through screening, baseline fabrication, failure analysis, and optimization to identify inherent limitations versus correctable defects. Results indicate that FDM offers the most adaptable route with reducible defects, while airtightness depends on wall thickness and extrusion-path architecture. The work establishes a practical design-for-manufacturing approach to guide process selection based on actuator architecture compatibility with manufacturing constraints.