Additive manufactured continuum mechanisms based on shape-programmable and micro-sized building blocks

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 mu m and an actuation hole of 100 mu m. Both 2D planar curved mechanisms and 3D spatial curved mechanisms have been implemented and experimentally validated.
Virtual and Physical Prototyping, 18 (1)
ISSN:1745-2767
ISSN:1745-2759