A new method for designing a compliant mechanism based displacement amplifier

Abstract

Advancement of precision industries, displacement amplifying device is essential to produce precise and long range of motion for micro-actuator. Compliant mechanism based displacement amplifier (DA) is more appropriate to attain high precision motion. Compliant mechanism utilizes elastic nature of material to achieve required motion. In this research paper, compliant mechanism design is developed using topology optimization. The output of the topologically optimized design is impossible to fabricate as it is due to the presence of senseless regions. Hence, this optimized design is considered as a primary design of compliant mechanism which provides the configuration of kinematic linkages and also provides the details of the geometrical locations of the flexure hinges. Selection of appropriate geometrical parameters of the flexure hinges is another critical task in the design process and parameterization technique is used to determine flexure hinge parameters. Structural performance of mechanical amplifier confirmed using finite element method (FEM).