<P>With a rigorous and comprehensive coverage, the second edition of <I>Compliant Mechanisms: Design of Flexure Hinges</I> provides practical answers to the design and analysis of devices that incorporate flexible hinges. Complex-shaped flexible-hinge mechanisms are generated from basic elastic segments by means of a bottom-up compliance (flexibility) approach. The same compliance method and the classical finite element analysis are utilized to study the quasi-static and dynamic performances of these compliant mechanisms. This book offers easy-to-use mathematical tools to investigate a wealth of flexible-hinge configurations and two- or three-dimensional compliant mechanism applications.</P>
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<P>FEATURES</P>
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<LI>Introduces a bottom-up compliance-based approach to characterize the flexibility of new and existing flexible hinges of straight- and curvilinear-axis configurations</LI>
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<LI>Develops a consistent linear lumped-parameter compliance model to thoroughly describe the quasi-static and dynamic behavior of planar/spatial, serial/parallel flexible-hinge mechanisms</LI>
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<LI>Utilizes the finite element method to analyze the quasi-statics and dynamics of compliant mechanisms by means of straight- and curvilinear-axis flexible-hinge elements</LI>
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<LI>Covers miscellaneous topics such as stress concentration, yielding and related maximum load, precision of rotation of straight- and circular-axis flexible hinges, temperature effects on compliances, layered flexible hinges and piezoelectric actuation/sensing</LI>
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<LI>Offers multiple solved examples of flexible hinges and flexible-hinge mechanisms.</LI>
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<P>This book should serve as a reference to students, researchers, academics and anyone interested to investigate precision flexible-hinge mechanisms by linear model-based methods in various areas of mechanical, aerospace or biomedical engineering, as well as in robotics and micro-/nanosystems.</P>