Design and optimization of compliant mechanisms for mechanical attachment systems
| dc.contributor.advisor | Brown, Joseph | |
| dc.contributor.author | Laudone, Russell | |
| dc.contributor.department | Mechanical Engineering | |
| dc.date.accessioned | 2025-06-27T22:21:28Z | |
| dc.date.issued | 2025 | |
| dc.description.degree | M.S. | |
| dc.embargo.liftdate | 2027-06-19 | |
| dc.identifier.uri | https://hdl.handle.net/10125/111054 | |
| dc.subject | Mechanical engineering | |
| dc.title | Design and optimization of compliant mechanisms for mechanical attachment systems | |
| dc.type | Thesis | |
| dcterms.abstract | Bistable compliant mechanisms offer a promising alternative to traditional fasteners and adhesives for mechanical attachment, enabling lightweight, reusable locking systems across diverse applications. This work presents two compliant locking mechanisms: one tool-less and in-plane for aerospace thermal protection systems, and another tool-actuated and out-of- plane for modular panel assemblies. The aerospace mechanism was prototyped in polylactic acid (PLA) and optimized using a hyperelastic solid model with a yield constraint, applying sequential sweeps of geometric parameters. The resulting design achieved a retention force of 53.41 N with a mass of 47.3 g and a 789 mm2 footprint, offering rapid tile exchange without adhesives. The modular panel system created a physical model inspired by industry needs and, separately, introduced an updated computational framework using particle swarm op- timization (PSO) coupled with FEniCSx simulations to enable multi-dimensional geometry tuning for material-dependent design. PSO-FEniCSx algorithm explored a three-parameter solution space, including band thickness, band angle, and side shuttle length, using a swarm of 16-particle’s evolving over 12 iterations. The best configuration, with band thickness “t” = 1.3 mm, band angle ”θ” = 78.85◦, and side shuttle length “ssl” = 29.66 mm, achieved a peak retention force of 66.33 N while remaining below the 95% yield stress threshold. Experimental validation confirmed that PSO accurately characterizes structures based on maximum force. However, it was found that the FEniCSx boundary conditions did not cor- rectly accurately represent deformation at the side walls during geometry transformation. To resolve this discrepancy, replacement of fixed conditions with a pin support is recommended. These results demonstrate that bistable compliant structures can be computationally opti- mized and physically tuned to meet application-specific requirements in both aerospace and architectural contexts. | |
| dcterms.extent | 83 pages | |
| dcterms.language | en | |
| dcterms.publisher | University of Hawai'i at Manoa | |
| dcterms.rights | All UHM dissertations and theses are protected by copyright. They may be viewed from this source for any purpose, but reproduction or distribution in any format is prohibited without written permission from the copyright owner. | |
| dcterms.type | Text | |
| local.identifier.alturi | https://www.proquest.com/LegacyDocView/DISSNUM/32042609 |
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