End-use objects produced via additive manufacturing (AM) are on the rise and new
applications in the fluid power industry are emerging. Recently, a custom, pneumatic, rotary
actuator was been designed and additively manufactured for integration into an active ankle-foot
orthosis that is being developed in the National Science Foundation’s Center for Compact and
Efficient Fluid Power. All necessary plumbing, between the valves and vanes, is integrated into
the additively-manufactured housing of the actuator; and, the silicone translating seals were
vacuum-transfer molded using additively-manufactured molds and inserts. This nonconventional actuator has more theoretical torque, and weighs less, than the off-the-shelf
component that it replaced. Further development will reduce seal leakage, and optimize designs
for additional mass reduction. Results-to-date are presented, in addition to several other
examples of the growing use of AM in the fluid-power industry.Mechanical Engineerin
