A new combined fabrication process to shape small flexure hinges

Abstract

This paper presents a new combined fabrication method, named 3D-PLAST, aimed at overcoming inherent limitations of conventional additive manufacturing techniques when producing small flexure hinges in compliant mechanisms. Flexure hinges play a crucial role in various applications, offering advantages such as cost reduction, increased precision, and weight reduction. However, traditional additive manufacturing proves challenging in achieving satisfactory mechanical properties when manufacturing small-size hinges. To overcome these limitations, the 3D-PLAST process combines fused filament fabrication with compressive plastic deformation. This hybrid process exploits the advantages of both techniques, i.e., flexibility, low cost, and ease of use. This process enables the fabrication of small-size mechanisms with good dimensional accuracy. Finally, the paper reports experimental tests on two materials comparing flexure hinges manufactured by 3D-PLAST versus 3D printing methods to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed process.