Redesign of the MMOC microgripper piezoactuator using a new topological optimization method

This paper presents a new method developed for the optimal design of piezoactive compliant mechanisms. It is based on a flexible building blocks method, called Flexln, which uses an evolutionary approach, to optimize a truss-like structure made of passive and active piezoelectric building blocks. An electromechanical approach, based on a mixed finite element method, is used to establish the model of the piezoelectric blocks. A planar monolithic compliant micro-actuator is synthesized by the optimization method, based on the specifications drawn from a piezoelectric microgripper prototype (MMOC). Finally, some performances comparisons between the optimally Flexln synthetized gripper and the previous gripping system demonstrate the interests of the proposed optimization method for the design of micro-actuators, microrobots, and more generally for adaptronic structures.