Abstract
In this work a procedure for the optimal design of flexural hinges to be microfabricated by a lithographic process is proposed. The structural optimization problem is approached by coupling a parametric finite element model to an optimization algorithm. A computer code was developed to generate the mesh at each optimization step accordingly to the values of the design parameters provided by an optimization toolbox. The objective function is the rotation of the mechanism, which must be maximized. The solution is constrained by strength and kinematical requirements. The notch shape is described by spline functions according to an original procedure developed by the authors. Results show that, with respect to the usual design approach, the proposed method permits a significant improvement of the hinge characteristic to be obtained.
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Francesco De Bona Born in Udine (Italy), on July 8th, 1959. Graduated Mechanical Engineer in 1983 and PhD in Applied Mechanics at Politecnico di Torino in 1987. Head of the Micromechanics laboratory at Sincrotrone Trieste from 1988 to 1995. Since 1996 in staff at DIEGM, Università di Udine. Since 2000 full professor of Applied Mechanics at Università di Udine. Research activity in computational and experimental mechanics for biomedical applications, aerospace, microfabrication and microsystems design. Scientific coordinator of 3 European Union research projects on microsystems. More then 70 scientific publications, 3 patents.
Mircea Gh. Munteanu Born in Brasov (Romania), on April 5th, 1946. Graduated Mechanical Engineer in 1968 and PhD in Applied Mechanics at Transilvania University of Brasov, Romania. Since 1979 in staff at Stress Analysis and Mechanical Vibrations, Transilvania University of Brasov. Since 1993 full professor Stress Analysis and Mechanical Vibrations, Transilvania University of Brasov. Invited professor at Università di Udine, Italia, in the framework of a grant related to microsystems design. Research activity on static and dynamic FEM analysis of mechanical structures, multibody systems, precision engineering, microsystem design. More then 100 publications on national and international journals and congresses, several books.
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De Bona, F., Munteanu, M.G. Optimized Flexural Hinges for Compliant Micromechanisms. Analog Integr Circ Sig Process 44, 163–174 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10470-005-2597-7
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10470-005-2597-7