Week 1
Overview of compliant mechanisms; spirit of compliant design; a glimpse of applications.
Mobility analysis of compliant mechanisms: Grübler’s formula, Maxwell’s rule, and rank of the compatibility matrix
Week 2
Modeling of flexures (flexible joints or elastic pairs)
Simulation of compliant mechanisms using finite element analysis
Week 3
Large-displacement analysis of cantilever beams: the elastica approach
Pseudo Rigid-Body (PRB) modeling
Week 4
Analysis using pseudo rigid-body models
Synthesis using pseudo rigid-body models
Week 5
Structural optimization approach to “design for deflection”
Topology optimization approach to compliant mechanism design
Week 6
Designing compliant mechanisms using continuum topology optimization
Design of distributed compliant mechanisms
Week 7
Spring-lever (SL) and spring-masslever (SML) models for compliant mechanisms
Selection and re-design using SL and SML models
Week 8
Non-dimensional analysis of compliant mechanisms
Kinetoelastic maps of compliant mechanisms
Week 9
Other methods of compliant mechanisms
Mechanical advantage analysis of compliant mechanisms
Week 10
Bistable compliant mechanisms
Static balancing of compliant mechanisms
Week 11
Compliant mechanisms and microsystems
Manufacturing and materials for compliant mechanisms
Week 12
Case-studies of compliant mechanisms: Part 1
Case-studies of compliant mechanisms: Part 2
