Identify the leakage mechanism in heat-shrink-formed actuators

Determine whether air leakage in heat-shrink-formed soft pneumatic actuators originates from damage to the heat-shrink tubing during heating or mold removal, from the interfaces between the tubing and the end caps, or from both mechanisms.

Background

The study evaluates heat-shrink forming as a manufacturing route for complex soft pneumatic actuators with thin walls, enclosed chambers, and corrugated geometry. Although modular molds and boiling-water heating improved the process, complete airtightness was not achieved consistently. The authors identify two plausible sources of leakage—damage to the tubing during heating or demolding, and defects at the tubing–end-cap interfaces—but did not experimentally distinguish between them. Resolving the dominant mechanism would support targeted process improvements and more reliable airtightness characterization.