Design, numerical simulation and experimental investigation of an SU-8 microgripper based on the cascaded V-shaped electrothermal actuators

摘要

ThispaperpresentsthenumericalsimulationresultsandtheexperimentalinvestigationsofapolymericmicrogripperdesignedusingthecascadedV-shapedelectrothermalactuators.Themicrogripperwassimulatedusingelectro-thermo-mechanicalfiniteelementmethod(FEM)basedonCoventorware2014softwareinordertochecktheperformanceofthegripper.Asstructuralmaterialofthemicrogripper,theSU-8biocompatiblepolymerwasusedduringthefabricationprocess.Themetallicmicro-heaterswereencapsulatedinthepolymericactuationstructuresofthemicrogripperstoreducetheundesirableout-of-planedisplacementofthegrippertips,toreducethemechanicalstressandtoimprovethethermalefficiency.Experimentaltestinghasbeenperformedtodeterminetheopeningsofthemicrogrippertipsasfunctionofelectricalcurrent.Adisplacementofthetipsofmorethan50pmcanbeobtainedatanelectricalcurrentofaround25-26mA.Over27-28mAtheheatersarestillworkingbutasofteningandadamagingstatusinthepolymerwereobserved...