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ME 250
Flexures
(Adapted from ME 324 course material ,
Dan DeBra, Stanford University)
Mark Sullivan
February 12, 2009
Acknowledgements
Text and figures in these lecture notes are taken from the
following sources:
Slocum, A. H., FUNdaMENTALs of Design, MIT, 2008.
Blanding, D., Exact Constraint: Machine Design Using Kinematic
Principles, ASME Press, New York, 1999.
DeBra, D. ME 119 Lecture Notes on Flexures, Stanford University,
1987.
Jones, R. V., Anti-distortion Mountings for Instruments and
Apparatus, J. of Sci. Instr., vol. 38, October 1961, pp. 408-409.
Jones, R. V., Some Uses of Elasticity in Instrument Design, J. of
Sci. Instr., vol. 39, 1962, pp. 193-203.
Hale, L. C., Principles and Techniques for Designing Precision
Machines, UCRL-LR-133066, Lawrence Livermore National
Laboratory, 1999. (http://www.llnl.gov/tid/lof/documents/pdf/235415.pdf)
Smith, S. T., Flexures, Gordon and Breach Science Publishers,
2000.
Trease, B., Flexures Overview, ME 599 Lecture Notes, University
of Michigan, 2004.
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Introduction Flexures
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Flexure History
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Fewer parts
No assembly required
Mechanical leverage easily implemented
Failure mechanisms well understood (yield, fatigue)
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Geometry
Load-deflection relationships for different shapes
Element deformation, e.g., beam bending
Constraints
Understand how to constrain / guide motion
Constraints / kinematics
Stiffness matrices
Reciprocity
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Blade Flexure
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Conceptual Basis
for Flexure Design
Kinematic Design
A rigid body has 6 DOF with respect to a reference frame (or
another rigid body)
With exactly 6 constraints suitably arranged, no relative motion.
If more than 6 constraints are applied to the body, it is
overconstrained and can be strained if its support base strains
If less than 6 constraints are applied, movement is made possible
(e.g., bearings):
1 rotation free - spindle, rotary bearing
1 translation free - carriage on ways
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Constraints
and Strain Attenuation
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Kinematic and
Semi-Kinematic Constraint
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Rod
Which DOF are Stiff
Which are Flexible?
Rz
y Rx
Bellows
Which DOF are Stiff
Which are Flexible?
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z
x
Ry
Rz
y
Rx
Ry
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Sheets or plates
Which DOF are Stiff
Which are Flexible?
z
L
bh determines strength
L influences buckling strength
Rz
b
Rx
Ry
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Blade Flexures
Rigid constraint in its own plane (x, y, & z)
Three degrees of freedom: z, x, & y.
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Parallel-Blade Flexure
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Cross-Blade Flexure
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Commercial Flexures
http://www.c-flex.com/home.html
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Anti-Distortion Mountings
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Jones, 1961
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Other Flexures
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Jones, 1962
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Jones, 1962
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k1
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k2
k3
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Series Flexures
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Hexapod
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1 DOF Flexure
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2 DOF Flexure
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Evolution of the
Translational Flexure
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Parallelogram Flexure
with Motion Amplification
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Zero-arcuate-error
Flexure System
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Link to PI
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Micro Flexures
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