Print Email Facebook Twitter Design for specified stiffness in precision engineering Title Design for specified stiffness in precision engineering Author Pluimers, P.J. Contributor Herder, J.L. (mentor) Tolou, N. (mentor) Van der Helm, F.C.T. (mentor) Faculty Mechanical, Maritime and Materials Engineering Department BioMechanical Engineering Programme BMD Date 2012-05-25 Abstract Precision engineering impacts every one, every day, by enabling the fabrication techniques and functions required for 21st technological revolutions. Various applications, from display technologies to sensor systems to optical networks make use of so called microelectromechanical systems (MEMS). Motions at micro level with monolithic structures are realized by using slender elements that deform elastically. The use of compliant elements comes with great advantages such as; simplified fabrication, increased precision and elimination of maintenance. However, the monolithic nature of compliant elements has a major drawback: the elastic deformation of the monolithic structure requires significant force and energy. The thesis contributes to a solution to make MEMS more energy efficient and thereby enhancing the feasibility of smaller MEMS devices. In particular, new stiffness behaviors, revolutionary preloading mechanisms and new fabrication methods have lead to an extraordinary reduction of the stiffness in the direction of motion of MEMS. The proposed concepts create room for a new avenue in the field of precision engineering. Subject compliant mechanismMEMSprecision engineeringbi-stablestatic balancingpreloadingconstant force To reference this document use: http://resolver.tudelft.nl/uuid:32441e78-8709-4620-a7ab-763ab53fb87e Embargo date 2013-10-02 Part of collection Student theses Document type master thesis Rights (c) 2012 Pluimers, P.J. Files PDF Thesis_Pieter_Pluimers.pdf 7.99 MB Close viewer /islandora/object/uuid:32441e78-8709-4620-a7ab-763ab53fb87e/datastream/OBJ/view