Work

Architected anti-loosening screw with mass-efficient fixturing capabilities

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: As additive manufacturing technologies progress toward enabling architected structures with increasingly finer features using practical materials, the design of ubiquitous fasteners like screws can be reimagined to use their mass more efficiently for improving both anti-loosening performance and clamping strength. Here we introduce an architected screw design that passively anchors itself to achieve these objectives while surviving large pull-out displacements and while avoiding damage to the surrounding material when the screw is forcefully removed. The screw’s advanced fixturing capabilities were optimized using finite element analysis and validated experimentally by comparison with a homogeneous counterpart, which was additively fabricated using the same material and with an identical external geometry. Potential applications of the architected screw include lightweight fasteners for aircraft subjected to high vibrations and orthopedic screws (e.g., pedicle screws) that securely anchor to bone without causing damage.

Source: International Journal of Mechanical Sciences

DOI: 10.1016/j.ijmecsci.2025.111104

Authors: Armin W. Pomeroy, Hando Kim, Jonathan B. Hopkins

Institution: University of California, Los Angeles

Language: English

Topic: Engineering Structural Analysis Methods

Subfield: Mechanical Engineering

Field: Engineering

Domain: Physical Sciences

SDG: Industry, innovation and infrastructure

Open Access status: hybrid

Estimated APC paid: $4,740