Additive manufacturing by template-assisted 3D electrodeposition: Nanocrystalline nickel microsprings and microspring arrays

In this work, we demonstrate that template-assisted electrodeposition is a viable route for fabricating fully metallic 3D micro-architectures with tailored properties. Firstly, we show that the process can be controlled with the aid of a 3D time-dependent electrodeposition simulation and that design feasibility can be investigated prior to the experiment. Secondly, we successfully manufactured nanocrystalline nickel microsprings and microspring arrays with a design optimized for mechanical testing. Subsequently, microcompression experiments were performed to measure the spring constants and calculate the eigen-frequencies. These results were in good agreement with the performed mechanical simulations. Finally, the microsprings' ability of sustaining numerous compression cycles with minor stress relaxation is shown by repeated cyclic loadings. (C) 2019 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.