Design and characterization of an electrostatic constant-force actuator based on a non-linear spring system
- In recent years, tissue engineering with mechanical stimulation has received considerable attention. In order to manipulate tissue samples, there is a need for electromechanical devices, such as constant-force actuators, with integrated deflection measurement. In this paper, we present an electrostatic constant-force actuator allowing the generation of a constant force and a simultaneous displacement measurement intended for tissue characterization. The system combines a comb drive structure and a constant-force spring system. A theoretical overview of both subsystems, as well as actual measurements of a demonstrator system, are provided. Based on the silicon-on-insulator technology, the fabrication process of a moveable system with an extending measurement tip is shown. Additionally, we compare measurement results with simulations. Our demonstrator reaches a constant-force of 79 \(\pm\) 2 \(\mu\)N at an operating voltage of 25 V over a displacement range of approximately 40 \(\mu\)m, and the possibility of adjusting the constant-force by changing the voltage is demonstrated.
| Author: | Anna Christina ThewesORCiDGND, Philip SchmittORCiDGND, Philipp LöhlerORCiDGND, Martin HoffmannORCiDGND |
|---|---|
| URN: | urn:nbn:de:hbz:294-85096 |
| DOI: | https://doi.org/10.3390/act10080192 |
| Parent Title (English): | Actuators |
| Publisher: | MDPI |
| Place of publication: | Basel |
| Document Type: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Date of Publication (online): | 2022/01/06 |
| Date of first Publication: | 2021/08/11 |
| Publishing Institution: | Ruhr-Universität Bochum, Universitätsbibliothek |
| Tag: | COMSOL; MEMS; SOI; comb drive; constant-force; dicing free; electrostatic; microactuator; microsensor; stimulation |
| Volume: | 10 |
| Issue: | 8, Article 192 |
| First Page: | 192-1 |
| Last Page: | 192-13 |
| Institutes/Facilities: | Lehrstuhl für Mikrosystemtechnik |
| Dewey Decimal Classification: | Technik, Medizin, angewandte Wissenschaften / Elektrotechnik, Elektronik |
| open_access (DINI-Set): | open_access |
| faculties: | Fakultät für Elektrotechnik und Informationstechnik |
| Licence (English): |  Creative Commons - CC BY 4.0 - Attribution 4.0 International |
