> ... the Y-Zipper, a 3D-printed, three-sided fastener that can snap a floppy, flexible structure into a rigid, load-bearing beam with one smooth pull.
Not a mechanical engineer, but I'd figure both the "rigid" and "load-bearing" aspects will be far poorer than conventional beams of the same size and weight.
lightedman•38m ago
Depends on the material that is being used and application. I could see this being highly useful for tents and similar fabric structures. I probably would not build a satellite solar panel structure/frame with them (atomic oxygen is a nasty critter) but for some lightweight terrestrial applications I can see much potential.
clickety_clack•32m ago
Interesting, which material?
lightedman•27m ago
For example, if you used PLA you'd get a stiffer, more mechanically-rigid structure in the zipped-up state. If you used TPU, you'd get a more flexible and elastic structure. I'd want PLA for tent seams and TPU for the door zipper.
clickety_clack•3m ago
Is PLA stiffer somehow in this state than it would be as a conventional beam?
radiorental•14m ago
This might be one of those cases where it solves for problem spaces that aren't being considered yet.
What I mean by that is in the case of soft robotics, it was developments in manufacturing techniques for the inflated leading edge of kitesurfing kites, that unlocked the capabilities to make soft robots more feasible.
probably_wrong•48m ago
I suggest reading the original linked article, if only because it includes a video with the zipper in action:
It brings to mind satellites assembling themselves in space. Send up a tightly packed box of spaghetti and extrude it into the desired physical shape upon arrival in orbit. For increased rigidity, paint with a solar pumped laser to weld the links together.
ChrisArchitect•3m ago
Meanwhile over at YKK Japan...
The zipper is getting its first major upgrade in 100 years (2025)
bell-cot•54m ago
Not a mechanical engineer, but I'd figure both the "rigid" and "load-bearing" aspects will be far poorer than conventional beams of the same size and weight.
lightedman•38m ago
clickety_clack•32m ago
lightedman•27m ago
clickety_clack•3m ago
radiorental•14m ago
What I mean by that is in the case of soft robotics, it was developments in manufacturing techniques for the inflated leading edge of kitesurfing kites, that unlocked the capabilities to make soft robots more feasible.