Application Abstract: | Additive manufacturing (AM) can be used to fabricate a wide palette of interlocking metasurfaces (ILMs). ILMs can be architecturally tailored to achieve intentional engagement and disengagement forces, and are amenable to topological optimization. ILMs can be fabricated using nearly any AM process at different length scales according to the capabilities of the process. As a result, ILMs represent a new class of joining technology enabled by additive manufacturing that is complementary to traditional joining processes including fasteners, welds, adhesives, etc. |