Validation of Compliant Mechanisms made by metallic Additive Manufacturing

Recent developments of compliant mechanisms built by additive manufacturing confirm their potential for high-precision applications in harsh environments. Several projects are presented, from simple flexure pivots to complex 3D compliant mechanisms designs, to show the advantages and challenges of the design, manufacturing and testing of such systems. Focus is put on the specific design methodology, the integration of electrical functions, the guiding and lifetime performance results to highlight the potential for future high-precision applications such as high-precision, cryogenic or space. First, the redesign of simple flexure blades and crossed-blade pivots has been performed. The guiding performances have been compared to simulations. Then, more complex architectures of compliant mechanisms have been designed, manufactured and tested. For example, the European Space Agency (ESA) project Compliant Mechanisms based on Additive Manufacturing (COMAM) and the European H2020 project Prototype for Ultra Large Structure Assembly Robot (PULSAR). This project validates the positioning of tiles integrated on 3D printed flexible pivots and gimbals with a repeatability better than 1 mu m. ESA selected CSEM for a new project, the development of a new compliant mechanism with a rotary to linear motion transformation. It is presented here with a novel 3D printed monolithic architecture made of stainless steel.