Study on Vibratory Linear Micro-feeder

Abstract

The vibratory linear micro-feeder has developed to feed a difficult handling object as a micro-parts, a soft or membranous materials. Its track and spring strips are united by bending as continuous member, only the shim plate with bimorph type piezoelectric actuator. Then, the construction has the most impotant conditions. The first, it is easy to carry out the production, because, sensitivity for dimensions is low, that is lightly affected to manufacturing errors. And the second, structure of the feeder can be simplified. By giving an eye to fundamental mode of flexural vibration, dynamic deflection of the track can be suppressed, and is sufficiently smaller than horizontal amplitude even if flexural rigidity is not high. Therefore, it is possible for a simple micro-feeder as the micro-mechanism to be realized without assembly of many parts. The dynamic deflection can be reduced by higher rigidity of the bended corner at both track ends in the case of a long track. On the other hand, lower rigidity of the corner is more suitable for a short track. In the first trial, the normal feeding of the 1608 tip capacitor has sucessed by the thin track consisted of the shim plate and aspect ratio 2, length ratio of the track to the actuating member. Feeding of a hydrophilic gel, the most difficult feeding object, was realized by the specially devised plane with water of the suitable quantity.