Nanosprings: Engineering on a Small Scale
In one of our recent blogs we took a quick look at some of the many amazing ways nature can inspire engineering. Here we take a closer look at another example of a new and exciting piece of technology, also inspired by nature’s designs, namely nanosprings.
One of the greatest designs in nature is the helical coil, and this is seen a wide variety of natures designs, such as our very own DNA. This unique design has also provided the inspiration for, and is reflected in, a variety of man-made technologies such as springs, which are utilised for a wide range of engineering applications.
The field of nanotechnology is the study and manipulation of matter at the atomic and molecular level, and can also be seen as engineering on a very small scale. Interestingly recent years have also seen scientists and engineers take inspiration from nature to design springs at the nanoscale.
The concept of nanosprings is fairly new in the nanotechnology field; however there has been growing interest in these exciting structures in the last few years. The potential applications of nanosprings are thought to be numerous, and from flexible electronics, to robotics and biomedicine, these new structures are thought to have the potential to make a big impact.
These nanosprings have also been garnering increasing attention and generating significant interest of late due to their ability to maximise surface area in micro reactors. For example researchers at Oregan State University have found that it is possible to successfully attach biomolecules to these springs, which may open the door to a number of new applications, such as in the development of pharmaceuticals and biomedicine. Scientists have also developed nanosprings that have the rather revolutionary ability to store energy during the coiling process and release this again when straightened out.
Here at European Springs we are passionate about engineering on any scale, and are suppliers of a great range of spring products, including compression springs to meet your requirements. For more information please do not hesitate to contact us and a member of our expert team will be happy to help you with your enquiries.
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