Design and analysis of flexure hinges micro-grabber

Design and manufacture of a type of planar flexure hinges micro-grabber were introduced based on the research of flexure hinges associated with an opening-closing experiment. The amplification and mount of displacement were gained via both experimental and analytical methods. It is shown that the amplification and the mount of output can be adjusted easily by changing the lever length and the amplification can reach up to 96 times. The research results indicate that this type of micro-grabber has a perfect linearity and the amplification can be modified according to the demands. The displacement of fingers can be accurately controlled by the voltage imposed on the attached piezoelectric ceramic packages. This kind of micro-grabber gains advantages of high accuracy, flexible control and stable performance. It is expected to be integrated in a micro-assembly system.