1. Additive manufactured continuum mechanisms based on shape-programmable and micro-sized building blocks
- Author
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Aschraf N. Danun, Remo Elmiger, Fabio Leuenberger, Luca Niederhauser, Jan Szlauzys, Lorin Fasel, and Mirko Meboldt
- Subjects
miniaturisation ,compliant mechanisms ,customization ,design automation ,design synthesis ,Science ,Manufactures ,TS1-2301 - Abstract
Micro-additive manufacturing techniques have the potential to meet the demand for miniaturised functional components for minimally invasive surgical instruments. These techniques create monolithic, compliant mechanisms with micro-sized free-form structures that can be tailored to patient-specific surgical procedures. The automated design synthesis of the mechanisms using building blocks results in structures that are shape-programmable. This is achieved through an algorithmic-based computational workflow, which automatically converts user-specified 2D and 3D curves into discrete curve segments. The actuated motion of the mechanisms can be designed to move in a specific way, both forwardly and inversely. The mechanisms are manufactured using micro-laser powder bed fusion and hardenable stainless steel 17-4 PH. By carefully selecting the process parameters, it is possible to 3D-print micro-sized features such as a compliant beam thickness of 80 μm and an actuation hole of 100 μm. Both 2D planar curved mechanisms and 3D spatial curved mechanisms have been implemented and experimentally validated.
- Published
- 2023
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