A high-precision focusing mechanism was designed using a flexible hinge to address the demand for precise focusing in space cameras. Firstly, a finite element model of the liner guideway was created using Hertz contact theory, and the accuracy of the...
The precise regulation of the hinge moment and pitch angle driven by the pitch-regulated mechanism is crucial for modulating thrust requirements and ensuring stable attitude control in Martian coaxial rotorcraft. Nonetheless, the aerodynamic hinge mo...
Background: The golden era of antibiotics has long passed, and the clinical failures caused by emerging drug-resistant bacteria have intensified the demand for novel antimicrobial agents. Antimicrobial peptides have attracted significant attention as...
In this paper, a low-cost manual micro- and nano-displacement adjustment mechanism is proposed, based on the principle of flexible hinge transmission and micro-displacement scaling. The manual micro- and nano-displacement platform consists of a micro...
This paper presents a stiffness-oriented structure topology optimization (TO) method for the design of a continuous, hinge-free compliant mechanism (CM). A synthesis formulation is developed to maximize the mechanism’s mutual potential energy (MPE) t...
Elliptical vibration-assisted cutting technology has been widely applied in complicated functional micro-structured surface texturing. Elliptical-arc-beam spherical flexure hinges have promising applications in the design of 3D elliptical vibration-a...
For earth observation, the optical systems in small satellites are crucial to obtain high- resolution images. However, the alignment between a primary and a secondary mirror in an optical system can be disturbed due to the harsh environments inside v...
Innovative designs such as morphing wings and terrain adaptive landing systems are examples of biomimicry and innovations inspired by nature, which are actively being investigated by aerospace designers. Morphing wing designs based on Variable Geomet...
A new multi-constraint optimization model with the weighted objective function is proposed to design the multi-input-multi-output (MIMO) compliant mechanisms. The main feature of this work is that both the two notable problems related to the de facto...
The plastic hinge is the most critical damaging part of a structural element, where the highest inelastic rotation would occur. In particular, flexural members develop maximum bending abilities at that point. The current paper experimentally investig...
Extreme cyclic temperature fluctuations (−200 °C to 200 °C) and inherent clearance nonlinearity in deployment hinges severely threaten the on-orbit deployment accuracy and dynamic stability of large variable-geometry spacecraft antennas...
Owing to the quick response, compact structure, high precision, huge blocking force generation, and ease of operation, piezoelectric actuators are urgently being adopted in the field of advanced dispensing for jetting performance improvement and fulf...
With a simple structure and control method, the piezo-inertia actuator is a preferred embodiment in the field of microprecision industry. However, most of the previously reported actuators are unable to achieve a high speed, high resolution, and low...
To address the issues of mechanical wear and limited service life in conventional contact piezoelectric actuators, this study proposes a non-contact piezoelectric actuator employing compressed air for energy transmission; we elucidate its structure a...
This research presents a case study of production monitoring on an aerospace composite component: the hinge arm of the droop nose mechanism on the Airbus A380 wing leading edge. A sensor network composed of Fibre Bragg Gratings, capacitive sensors fo...
A new micromachined vibrating ring gyroscope (VRG) architecture with low quadrature error and high-linearity is proposed, which successfully optimizes the working modes to first order resonance mode of the structure. The improved mode ordering can si...
Compliant mechanisms based on flexure hinges are widely used in precision engineering applications. Among those are devices such as precision balances and mass comparators with achievable resolutions and uncertainties in the nano-newton range. The ex...
Piezoelectric-actuated nanopositioning stages commonly employ flexure amplification mechanisms to enlarge output displacement and are widely used in optical measurement, micro and nano manufacturing, and other precision engineering fields. However, e...
Compliant joints are flexible elements that allow displacement due to the elastic deformations they experience under the action of external loading. The flexible parts responsible for these displacements are known as flexure hinges. Displacement, or...
This paper presents a design of a 3DOF XYZ bi-directional motion platform based on Z-shaped flexure hinges. In the presented platform, bridge-type mechanisms and Z-shaped flexure hinges are adopted to amplify its output displacement. Bi-direction mot...
The adjusting mechanism is an important part of an aero engine, and the wear degradation of clearance is widely present in its hinges. In this work, an adjusting mechanism with hinge clearance is analyzed by dynamic simulation and the wear depth is p...
The workspace of the compliant parallel mechanism (CPM) is generally limited due to the small deformation range of flexible hinges, which are usually at the micro/nano scale. This paper takes the 2-DOFs n-4R compliant parallel pointing mechanism (n-4...
The integration of multi-material 3D printing with origami engineering offers a promising avenue for deployable structures, but weak interfacial bonding between rigid and flexible phases remains a key limitation. This study first proposed four distin...
Shape memory alloys (SMAs) demonstrate a shape memory effect and superelasticity that can provide recovery performance to structural members. In this study, a round SMA bar was designed to replace the conventional deformed steel bar, particularly wit...
Large-diameter hinged-bolt connectors markedly reduce the early slip caused by bolt-to-hole clearance in conventional bolted connectors while avoiding welding-related problems associated with large-diameter headed studs in steel–ultra-high-perf...
The inhibition of human angiotensin I converting enzyme (ACE) has been regarded as a promising approach for the treatment of hypertension. Despite research attempts over many years, our understanding the mechanisms of activation and inhibition of ACE...
Ro-Ro (Roll-on/Roll-off) vessels require adaptable deck systems to efficiently accommodate vehicles of varying sizes. Conventional fixed or hydraulically lifted car decks often face challenges related to structural efficiency, maintainability, and li...
Shape-variable structures can change their geometry in a targeted way and thus adapt their outer shape to different operating conditions. The potential applications in aviation are manifold and far-reaching. The substitution of conventional flaps in...
In this paper, a novel three-degree-of-freedom piezoelectric-driven micro-positioning platform based on a lever combination compound bridge-type displacement amplification mechanism is proposed. The micro-positioning platform proposed in this paper a...
This paper develops parametric accelerated life testing (ALT) as a systematic reliability method to produce the reliability quantitative (RQ) specifications—mission cycle—for recognizing missing design defects in mechanical products as ap...
This research focuses on the fabrication of plastic flexure hinges from diverse plastics such as ABS, PP, HDPE, and LDPE. To enhance hinge efficiency, the recycling ratios are also investigated. The amplification ratio of different recycle ratios and...
The non-variable stiffness of the flexible hinge in the fast-steering mirror (FSM) cannot adapt to varying load demands. To address this issue, this paper presents an innovative variable-stiffness rotational mechanism designed for use with FSMs. Firs...
At present, commonly used vegetable pot seedling planters can be divided into two categories: one has a complex structure and high manufacturing cost, and the other has a simple structure but poor planting quality. In order to solve this problem, an...
A novel type of spatial three revolute-cylindrical-universal (3-RCU) flexible micro manipulator is designed based on flexible hinges, and analyzed by finite element analysis (FEA). The piezoelectric actuators are adopted as driving devices in this pl...
In this work, we use computer simulations (Molecular Dynamics) to analyse the behaviour of a specific auxetic hierarchical mechanical metamaterial composed of square-like elements. We show that, depending on the design of hinges connecting structural...
With the widespread application of pipelines in engineering, more and more accidents occur because of pipeline leakage. Therefore, it is particularly important to continuously monitor the pipeline pressure. In this study, a non-intrusive and high-sen...
Multi-degree-of-freedom piezoelectric motors have the advantages of high torque and resolution, simple structure, and direct drive, which are widely used in robot wrist joints, deep-sea mechanisms, medical equipment, and space mechanisms. To solve th...
Injection molding is a polymer processing technology used for manufacturing parts with elastic hinges. Elastic hinges are widely used in FMCG (Fast Moving Consumer Goods) packaging (e.g., bottle closures of shampoos, sauces) and in the electrical eng...
This paper presents an enhanced pseudo-rigid body model (PRBM) integrated with the LuGre friction law to analyze the dynamic behavior of flexure-hinge-based piezoelectric stick–slip actuators (PSSAs). The PRBM captures flexure compliance throug...
The kinematic synthesis of compliant mechanisms based on flexure hinges is not an easy task. A commonly used method is the equivalent rigid model, which involves replacing the flexure hinges with rigid bars connected with lumped hinges using the alre...
Hinge joints are critical structural components that connect precast girders and enhance the load-bearing capacity and serviceability of multi-girder bridges. Damage to hinge joints can significantly reduce the structural integrity of a bridge and ma...
Compliant mechanisms’ design aims to create a larger workspace and simple structural shapes because these mechanical systems usually have small dimensions, reduced friction, and less bending. From that request, we designed optimal bridge-type complia...
To resolve the problem of the super-long steel structures producing high-temperature stress on the lower concrete roof column section and improve the structure’s seismic performance, in this paper, we introduce a type of composite damped hinge...
The motion of a rigid body can be represented by the instantaneous screw axis (ISA, also known as the helical axis). Recently, an invariant representation of motion based on the ISA, namely, the screw axis invariant descriptor (SAID), was proposed in...
A novel class of n-4R compliant parallel pointing mechanisms is proposed, and the compliance and kinetostatic model of the mechanism are established and analyzed successively. Firstly, the compliance model of a class of n-4R compliant parallel pointi...
Reinforced concrete columns constructed prior to the 1970s often exhibit deficient lap splices at the base, characterized by insufficient splice lengths. In response to the urgent need for an efficient seismic assessment of these vulnerable structura...
A model-free adaptive positioning control strategy for piezoelectric stick–slip actuators (PSSAs) with uncertain disturbance is proposed. The designed controller consists of a data-driven self-learning feedforward controller and a model-free ad...
The use of pressure-actuated cellular structures (PACS) is an effective approach for the application of compliant mechanisms. Analogous to the model in nature, the Venus flytrap, they are made of discrete pressure-activated rows and can be deformed w...
Downscaling has been a focal task of Electronics and Electromechanics in the last few decades, and a great engine for technological progress as well. Nevertheless, a scaling operation affects device physics, functioning and performance. The present p...
In this paper, a flexible micro-operation platform with three degrees of freedom, large stroke, and high precision is designed to meet the higher demands in the fields of biological engineering and medicine. The platform adopts a compound lever mecha...
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