In-plane flexure-based clamp

This paper presents the design of a simple flexure-based clamp that may be used in experimental set-ups to hold cylindrical and flat components in the plane of a mounting plate. While it is easy to clamp cylindrical components normal to the plane of a mounting plate, effective in-plane clamp designs are relatively less common due to practical fabrication challenges. The proposed design provides a well-distributed clamping force while avoiding localized stress concentration, and is simple to fabricate using standard machining processes. Additionally, it allows adjustability in the axial position of the component being held prior to clamping, and also provides self-aligning and self-correcting capabilities. Several examples where this clamp design has been successfully employed are presented. A simple model is developed to provide physical and analytical insight into the relation between the clampʹs geometric dimensions and performance. These results are validated via finite elements analysis. Several alternate in-plane clamp designs are also proposed.