Exploring Convergence of Snake-Skin-Inspired Texture Designs and Additive Manufacturing for Mechanical Traction

Abstract

Abstract This research explores the convergence of a 3D printing process with snake-skin-inspired textures for mechanical traction. The design attributes of snake skin scales were studied via the shed skin of species Python Regius . Snake skin design, especially on ventricular side, consists of hexagonal scale patterns with denticulations and fibrils as hierarchical structures of the design. The snake-skin-inspired design was then explored for printing using the laser-powder bed fusion (L-PBF) manufacturing technique on 420 stainless steel. It was discovered that the surface roughness generated by the laser scanning path during the 3D printing technique closely mimics the hierarchical micro-texture of snake skin scales. The texture of the 3D printed part surface was measured using the JIS B 06061-2001 standard by a laser scanning microscope and this manuscript presents a comparison of the 3D printed texture with the shed snake skin surface. This paper also discusses directional traction properties of the printed surface using tribological study.