Abstract

Kinetostatic and dynamic analyses are of significance in designing compliant mechanisms. The design challenge of complex configurations with irregular building blocks, however, not only leads to difficult modeling but would also results in large errors and even wrong results. In this paper, a systematic procedure of transfer matrix method is developed for kinetostatic and dynamic analyses of compliant mechanisms composed of irregular serial-parallel building blocks. To this end, a generalized transfer matrix is established by shifting end nodes of all adjacent flexure members to being coincident. Uniform transfer matrix formulas of purely parallel and parallel-clamped sub-chains are derived as well. The systematic procedure enables a concise analysis process without the requirement of cumbersome mathematical derivations to deal with irregular connection of flexure building blocks, thus facilitating a parametric modeling that is not only robust but also computationally efficient. A practical design is implemented to showcase the considerable reduction of modeling complexity and enhancement of prediction accuracy with the presented approach.

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