Dynamic modelling of a submerged freeze microgripper using a thermal network

Manipulating micro-objects whose typical size is under 100 mum becomes an interesting research topic for micro-assembly applications. A comparative analysis of dry and liquid media impacts on surface forces, contact forces and hydro dynamic forces showed that performing manipulation and assembly in liquid surroundings can indeed be more efficient than in dry conditions. We propose a thermal based micromanipulator designed to operate completely submerged in an aqueous medium. The handling principle and the advantages of our proposed submerged freeze microgripper against air working cryogenic grippers are first described. Then, the thermal principle based on Peltier effect, the characteristics of the prototype, and its first micromanipulation tests are reported. In order to manage the heat exchanges in the microgripper, a dynamic thermal model using electrical analogy has been developed for a 3D heat sink of the microgripper. Its validation is presented in the last section. Further works will be focused on the characterization of all the parameters and its experimental validation.