On adhesion type micro manipulator with thermal control of capillary force

Abstract

The adhesion type micro-manipulator tip was proposed and studied. The adhesion force is thermally controlled by supplying and evaporating liquid water film on the tip end. The force between the tip and small glass ball was measured with a movable coil type analog volt meter in micro-Newton level. The capillary tip indicates the adhesion force of 10 μN level in wet state of below 90°C, and 1μN level of dry state of over 100°C Theoretically estimated capillary force between two spheres with various meniscus amount covers the measured values. The wet state of the tip can control with sub-second time constant, which is enough speed for manual operation of micro manipulation. In the manipulation test of small glass beads, pick up and release operation was conducted with high probability and beads arrangement along an M shape was demonstrated. © 2012 The Japan Society of Mechanical Engineers.