Design and analysis of porous flexure hinge based on dual-objective topology optimization of three-dimensional continuum

Abstract

This paper properly presents a dual-objective topology optimization mathematical model for compliance and precision performance of flexure hinges based on the three-dimensional continuum topology optimization. The OptiStruct module is applied to solving the problem. And through the post-processing design and parameterization of the results, a single-axis quasi-leaf porous flexure hinge (QLPFH) is generated. The dimensionless empirical equations of the stiffness and rotational center of the hinge are derived by finite element analysis, and the performance of the flexure hinge under different dimensionless parameters is analyzed. Comparing the QLPFH and the leaf flexure hinge (LFH) with the same external space dimensions, the results show that the translational stiffness of the LFH in the desired working direction and the rotational stiffness are much larger than those of the QLPFH. In addition, in the case of the stiffness of the QLPFH is greatly reduced, its precision performance has also been improved to a certain extent. The feasibility of dual-objective design method based on three-dimensional continuum topology optimization is further confirmed.