| dc.description.abstract | By cutting specific patterns in thin sheets of material it is possible to acquire a high degree of compliance in and out of the plane. These structures, called flexure patterns, are often applied in situations causing large deformations and contact. This is known from theory to introduce a non-linear behavior, in which the load and deformation no longer has a linear relation.
This thesis sets out to analyze these sources of non-linearity, and find their significance in design applications. This is done by performing a parametric study of the base repeating unit of two known patterns: the LET/Slits pattern and the YdX. The goal is to contribute to the knowledge and understanding of the mechanical behaviour of flexure patterns. Non-linear simulations with the FE-software ABAQUS have been used in combination with python to make the analyses as automatic as possible.
The results show that for some load cases there are small deviation between the linear and the non-linear simulation. The deformation mechanisms of important structural members are assumed to play significant roles as sources of geometric non-linearities.
In addition, the results indicate that an automatic analysis of contact non-linearities would require further work and is a complete study by its own. | |
