How to Classify Compliant Mechanisms

Abstract

The design of compliant mechanisms is completely different from the design of all other mechanisms. It is assumed that traditional mechanisms are rigid or that they use rigid parts connected by mobile joints. As the name suggests, the compliant mechanisms are not rigid, but flexible; they exploit deformation to their advantage, thus also eliminating problems due to friction and play. An analysis of the state of the art of the scientific literature on compliant mechanisms revealed a chaotic proliferation of typologies, which differ in type, shape, material, size, application, etc. And the lack of a unique and complete classification. This problem has been addressed by proposing a series of classifications, designed according to the different inputs that can be had in the early stages of the design. These include a functional classification based on FBS ontology, used to define the state of the art and identify areas of investigation that are still unexplored. Finally the classification by degrees of freedom, rotations and translations allowed, which led to a system of organization of compliants families in the form of a matrix. The matrix represents a first step towards the future possibility of integrating this creation into a tool for modeling and optimizing the design by compliants. In this article an example of how to organize the emerging Lamina torsion mechanisms (LET) and the rotational joints in the matrix is proposed.