Design procedure of planar compliant microgrippers with flexural joints

Abstract

The overall design scope of most microgrippers developed in recent years lacks a systematic mechanism design approach. This chapter proposes a new design concept in order to enhance the design scope of microgrippers. Using a systematic design procedure that particularly stresses planar compliant mechanisms, a two-fingered microgripper, which has parallelogram mechanism, is presented. By the help of this construction, the gripping surfaces stay in parallel position during its motion. The preliminary finite element (FEM) simulation results are in good agreement with the expected kinematic motion. Moreover, the stress analysis also points out that the relationship between the direction of driving force and orientation of deflected compliant joints is one of the crucial factors for designing the compliant microgripper mechanism. Hence, the proposed mechanism design concept can be integrated into the design of microscale actuating devices for micro-electro-mechanical systems.