Miniaturized surface-driven electrostatic actuators: design and performance evaluation

Author

Gao, Robert X. ; Fang, Ji ; Rao, Balkrishna ; Warrington, Robert O.

Author_Institution

Dept. of Mech. & Ind. Eng., Massachusetts Univ., Amherst, MA, USA

Volume

2

Issue

1

fYear

1997

fDate

3/1/1997 12:00:00 AM

Firstpage

1

Lastpage

7

Abstract

A series of miniaturized, surface-driven rotary and linear electrostatic actuators was designed and fabricated. The finite element analysis method was used to aid in the design and analysis of the electrostatic drive mechanism. The actuators, consisting mainly of a copper-coated 200 μm-thick glass epoxy stator board and a 34 μm-thick carbon-coated polyethylene-terephthalate (PET) film slider, were fabricated using modified printed circuit board techniques. These actuators, able to carry mechanical loads up to 375 times their own weight, can be used as micro conveyers or robots in an automated micromachine assembly environment for a wide range of applications.

Keywords

electric fields; electrostatic devices; finite element analysis; microactuators; printed circuits; stators; 200 micron; 34 micron; PET film slider; electric field distribution; electrostatic actuators; electrostatic drive; finite element analysis; glass epoxy stator; linear type; microactuators; modified PCB process; rotary type; surface driven design; Electrostatic actuators; Electrostatic analysis; Finite element methods; Glass; Plastic films; Positron emission tomography; Printed circuits; Robotic assembly; Robotics and automation; Stators;

fLanguage

English

Journal_Title

Mechatronics, IEEE/ASME Transactions on

Publisher

ieee

ISSN

1083-4435

Type

jour

DOI

10.1109/3516.558852

Filename

558852