Design modeling and fabrication of experimental apparatus for compliant mechanism education kit

Abstract

The purpose of this thesis is to design an educational kit to be used to teach practicing engineers about recent developments in the study and design of flexures. Flexure theory can be difficult to explain. This kit is a physical example of the FACT method for designing flexures. The first flexure is a linear motion flexure, which is a familiar design to practicing precision engineers. The second design is a flexure which moves in a screw motion, which has never been built before. The design of the screw flexure uses the FACT method to combine constraints to create a linked linear and rotational motion. The screw flexure is also designed to have a variable pitch, such that it ranges from pure rotational motion to linear motion. This thesis contains the modeling, design, and fabrication process for both the linear and screw flexure. Two working prototypes were manufactured of each flexure. They are assembled on a baseplate and include sensors to measure the motion of each flexure. One kit was used to explain the concepts behind the design of the flexures to two students. They were then able to answer a few questions about the concepts after experimenting with the flexures.