FLEXURE HINGES FOR PIEZOACTUATOR DISPLACEMENT AMPLIFIERS - FLEXIBILITY, ACCURACY, AND STRESS CONSIDERATIONS

Piezoelectric actuators are becoming increasingly popular in industria l applications. Because of their low displacement and high force outpu ts, they are commonly coupled through flexure-hinged mechanical displa cement amplifiers This paper considers aspects of the design of flexur e hinges for such structures. Traditional ''right-circular'' hinge: pr ofiles, commonly produced by drilling, are compared with more complex corner-filleted and elliptical forms that can now be manufactured by s uch processes as wire electrodischarge machining, it is concluded that elliptical profiles have advantages in achieving long fatigue life, b ut corner-filleted design offers the highest flexibility.