A formulation for optimal design problem of compliant displacement magnification mechanisms based on effective energy concept

Abstract

A compliant mechanism is a structure designed to be flexible in order to achieve a specified motion as a mechanism. Such mechanisms can enable a variety of functions. In particular, the operation of highly sensitive sensors and actuators in industrial applications often requires reliable and flexible displacement magnification mechanisms. It is well known that topology optimization offers a useful and powerful method for compliant mechanism design, where displacement in a targeted direction at an output port is to be maximized based on the use of artificial spring components located at the boundaries of the input and output ports. However, such spring components are not always a fundamental requirement. This letter presents a formulation for a compliant displacement magnification mechanism design based on the concept of effective energy. Several numerical examples are provided to confirm the utility of the proposed formulation.