Modeling and Experiments of Buckling Modes and Deflection of Fixed-Guided Beams in Compliant Mechanisms

2011 ◽  
Vol 133 (5) ◽  
Author(s):  
Gregory L. Holst ◽  
Gregory H. Teichert ◽  
Brian D. Jensen

This paper explores the deflection and buckling of fixed-guided beams used in compliant mechanisms. The paper’s main contributions include the addition of an axial deflection model to existing beam bending models, the exploration of the deflection domain of a fixed-guided beam, and the demonstration that nonlinear finite element models typically incorrectly predict a beam’s buckling mode unless unrealistic constraints are placed on the beam. It uses an analytical model for predicting the reaction forces, moments, and buckling modes of a fixed-guided beam undergoing large deflections. The model for the bending behavior of the beam is found using elliptic integrals. A model for the axial deflection of the buckling beam is also developed. These two models are combined to predict the performance of a beam undergoing large deflections including higher order buckling modes. The force versus displacement predictions of the model are compared to the experimental force versus deflection data of a bistable mechanism and a thermomechanical in-plane microactuator (TIM). The combined models show good agreement with the force versus deflection data for each device.

Author(s):  
Gregory L. Holst ◽  
Gregory H. Teichert ◽  
Brian D. Jensen

This paper explored the deflection and buckling of fixed-guided beams. It uses an analytical model for predicting the reaction forces, moments, and buckling modes of a fixed-guided beam undergoing large deflections. One of the strengths of the model is its ability to accurately predict buckling behavior and the buckled beam shape. The model for the bending behavior of the beam is found using elliptic integrals. A model for the axial deflection of the buckling beam is also developed based on the equations for stress and strain and the buckling profile of the beam calculated with the elliptic integral solution. These two models are combined to predict the performance of a beam undergoing large deflections including higher order buckling modes. The force vs. displacement predictions of the model are compared to the experimental force vs. deflection data of a bistable mechanism and a thermomechanical in-plane microactuator (TIM). The combined models show good agreement with the force vs. deflection data for each device. The paper’s main contributions include the addition of the axial buckling model to existing beam bending models, the exploration of the deflection domain of a fixed-guided beam, and the demonstration that nonlinear finite element models may incorrectly predict a beam’s buckling mode unless unrealistic constraints are placed on the beam.


Author(s):  
Fulei Ma ◽  
Guimin Chen

A fixed-guided beam is one of most commonly used flexible segments in compliant mechanisms such as bistable mechanisms, compliant parallelogram mechanisms, compound compliant parallelogram mechanisms and thermomechanical in-plane microactuators. In this paper, we split a fixed-guided beam into two elements, formulate each element using the Beam Constraint Model (BCM) equations, and then assemble the two elements’ equations to obtain the final solution for the load-deflection relations. Interestingly, the resulting load-deflection solution (referred to as Bi-BCM) is closed-form, in which the tip loads are expressed as functions of the tip deflections. The maximum allowable axial force of Bi-BCM is the quadruple of that of the BCM. Bi-BCM also extends the capability of the BCM for predicting the second buckling mode of fixed-guided beams. Besides, the boundary line between the first and the second buckling modes of fixed-guided beams can be easily obtained using a closed-form equation. Bi-BCM can be immediately used for quick design calculations of compliant mechanisms utilizing fixed-guided beams as their flexible segments (generally no iteration is required). Different examples are analyzed to illustrate the usage of Bi-BCM, and the results show the effectiveness of the closed-form solution.


Author(s):  
Adarsh Mavanthoor ◽  
Ashok Midha

Significant reduction in cost and time of bistable mechanism design can be achieved by understanding their bistable behavior. This paper presents bistable compliant mechanisms whose pseudo-rigid-body models (PRBM) are four-bar mechanisms with a torsional spring. Stable and unstable equilibrium positions are calculated for such four-bar mechanisms, defining their bistable behavior for all possible permutations of torsional spring locations. Finite Element Analysis (FEA) and simulation is used to illustrate the bistable behavior of a compliant mechanism with a straight compliant member, using stored energy plots. These results, along with the four-bar and the compliant mechanism information, can then be used to design a bistable compliant mechanism to meet specified requirements.


1998 ◽  
Vol 120 (3) ◽  
pp. 392-400 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Saxena ◽  
S. N. Kramer

Compliant members in flexible link mechanisms undergo large deflections when subjected to external loads. Because of this fact, traditional methods of deflection analysis do not apply. Since the nonlinearities introduced by these large deflections make the system comprising such members difficult to solve, parametric deflection approximations are deemed helpful in the analysis and synthesis of compliant mechanisms. This is accomplished by representing the compliant mechanism as a pseudo-rigid-body model. A wealth of analysis and synthesis techniques available for rigid-body mechanisms thus become amenable to the design of compliant mechanisms. In this paper, a pseudo-rigid-body model is developed and solved for the tip deflection of flexible beams for combined end loads. A numerical integration technique using quadrature formulae has been employed to solve the large deflection Bernoulli-Euler beam equation for the tip deflection. Implementation of this scheme is simpler than the elliptic integral formulation and provides very accurate results. An example for the synthesis of a compliant mechanism using the proposed model is also presented.


Author(s):  
A. Saxena ◽  
Steven N. Kramer

Abstract Compliant members in flexible link mechanisms undergo large deflections when subjected to external loads for which, traditional methods of deflection analysis do not apply Nonlinearities introduced by these large deflections make the system comprising such members difficult to solve Parametric deflection approximations are then deemed helpful in the analysis and synthesis of compliant mechanisms This is accomplished by seeking the pseudo-rigid-body model representation of the compliant mechanism A wealth of analysis and synthesis techniques available for rigid-body mechanisms thus become amenable to the design of compliant mechanisms In this paper, a pseudo-rigid-body model is developed and solved for the tip deflection of flexible beams for combined end loads with positive end moments A numerical integration technique using quadrature formulae has been employed to solve the nonlinear Bernoulli-Euler beam equation for the tip deflection Implementation of this scheme is relatively simpler than the elliptic integral formulation and provides nearly accurate results Results of the numerical integration scheme are compared with the beam finite element analysis An example for the synthesis of a compliant mechanism using the proposed model is also presented.


2001 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jianping Lu ◽  
Golam M. Newaz ◽  
Ronald F. Gibson

Abstract Aluminum hat section, either adhesively bonded or unbonded, experiences buckling, post buckling and plastic collapse when axially compressed. However, there exist obvious differences in the load response between the bonded and unbonded hat sections. Finite element eigenvalue buckling analysis is carried out to predict the buckling load and mode. Experiments show that when adhesively bonded hat sections begin to buckle there is a transformation from the first buckling mode to the higher ones, while the unbonded hat sections develop the post buckling based on the lowest buckling mode. The different buckling modes result in not only different buckling loads but different peak loads of the hat sections as well. Finally, the ultimate compressive strength formulae are proposed for the hat sections.


2009 ◽  
Vol 2009 ◽  
pp. 1-13 ◽  
Author(s):  
N. Tolou ◽  
J. L. Herder

The deflection of compliant mechanism (CM) which involves geometrical nonlinearity due to large deflection of members continues to be an interesting problem in mechanical systems. This paper deals with an analytical investigation of large deflections in compliant mechanisms. The main objective is to propose a convenient method of solution for the large deflection problem in CMs in order to overcome the difficulty and inaccuracy of conventional methods, as well as for the purpose of mathematical modeling and optimization. For simplicity, an element is considered which is a cantilever beam out of linear elastic material under vertical end point load. This can further be used as a building block in more complex compliant mechanisms. First, the governing equation has been obtained for the cantilever beam; subsequently, the Adomian decomposition method (ADM) has been utilized to obtain a semianalytical solution. The vertical and horizontal displacements of a cantilever beam can conveniently be obtained in an explicit analytical form. In addition, variations of the parameters that affect the characteristics of the deflection have been examined. The results reveal that the proposed procedure is very accurate, efficient, and convenient for cantilever beams, and can probably be applied to a large class of practical problems for the purpose of analysis and optimization.


2007 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 155892500700200 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paul V. Cavallaro ◽  
Ali M. Sadegh ◽  
Claudia J. Quigley

The bending performance of fabric air beams varies significantly from conventional beams. Both are dependent upon the constitutive relations of the material, but air beams are further dependent upon the thermodynamics of the internal air. As the governing energy balance demonstrates, air beam bending is dependent upon strain energy and PV-work (air compressibility). The relative importance of these terms will vary with pressure, volume changes and shear deformations. To this point, a swatch of uncoated plain-woven fabric was subjected to mechanical tests and its material properties determined. Attempts at using the stress-strain measurements in air beam models, assumed constructed with the same fabric, were made. The models accounted for fluid-structure interactions between the air and fabric. Homogenization methods were used and were necessary to provide computational efficiencies for the macro-scale air beam model while attempts were made to incorporate the combined extension and shear behaviors observed during the material tests. Bending behavior was numerically investigated for several constitutive cases. The models were solved with the ABAQUS-Explicit program over a range of pressures. The fabric strain energy and PV-work were tracked and compared. It was concluded that strain energy and PV-work must be considered in deflection analyses of uncoated plain-woven fabric air beams.


Author(s):  
G D Galletly

When perfect, externally pressurized complete circular toroidal shells buckle, the minimum buckling pressure pcr usually occurs in the axisymmetric n = 0 mode, with pcr for n = 2 being only slightly larger. In the present paper, the effects of axisymmetric initial geometric imperfections on reducing pcr for the perfect shell are investigated. Various types of imperfection are studied, i.e. localized flat spots, smooth dimples, sinusoids and buckling mode shapes. The principal geometry investigated was R/b = 10, b/t = 100, although other geometries were also considered. The maximum decrease in buckling resistance, Δ pcr, was found to be about 16 per cent at δ 0/t = 1 and it occurred with smooth dimples at the north (φ = 180°) and south (φ=0°) poles. This value of Δ pcr is not large. Circular toroidal shells thus do not appear to be very sensitive to axisymmetric initial geometric imperfections. The reductions in the buckling pressure of the above shell, arising because of initial imperfections having the shape of the n = 0 and the n = 2 buckling modes, were 12 and 9 per cent respectively for wo/t = 1. These decreases in the buckling resistance are smaller than that for the ‘two smooth dimple’ case mentioned above.


2015 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Isaac L. Delimont ◽  
Spencer P. Magleby ◽  
Larry L. Howell

Origami-inspired design is an emerging field capable of producing compact and efficient designs. Compliant hinges are proposed as a way to replicate the folding motion of paper when using nonpaper materials. Compliant hinges function as surrogate folds and can be defined as localized reduction of stiffness. The purpose of this paper is to organize and evaluate selected surrogate folds for use in compliant mechanisms. These surrogate folds are characterized based on the desired motion as well as motions typically considered parasitic. Additionally, the surrogate folds' ability to rotate through large deflections and their stability of center of rotation are evaluated. Existing surrogate folds are reviewed and closed-form solutions presented. A diagram intended as a straightforward design guide is presented. Areas for potential development in the surrogate fold design space are noted.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document