Finite element modelling of single dry-adhesive microstructures with a hyperelastic material model

Dry-adhesive microstructures made of silicone are an energy efficient tool for pick-and-place tasks with a diverse range of objects. Small-scale experiments with less than 50 individual adhesive elements provide the database for finite element modelling of single adhesive elements using a hyperelastic material model. Through experimental investigations and numerical parameter identification, a finite element simulation with a Neo-Hookean model was developed. The simulation could successfully describe the deformation during the compression phase. However, for the pulling phase a more complex material model, such as the Mooney-Rivlin or Ogden model in combination with a better representation of the incompressibility, is required.