FEA Design Verification: Stiffness

X-Direction Y-Direction Z-Direction

Loads: 1N, 5N, 8N Load: 650N Load: 1kN, 5kN

Stiffness: 7.08 N/mm Stiffness: 749 N/mm Stiffness: 78.52 kN/mm
1
FEA Design Verification: Buckling and Fatigue
1st buckling mode: 1,692 N Max stress at max x-slide displacement: 126 MPa
(*120 MPa maximum stress gives expected cycles of 104 )

Bottom line: Flexures will not buckle or fatigue under normal operating conditions
2
* ASME document on 6061 Aluminum Fatigue
FEA Design Verification: Vibration Frequencies
Ignoring LS Including LS in model
1st mode:
1st mode:
233 Hz
17 Hz, in
x-direction

2nd mode: 2nd mode:

166 Hz 259 Hz

FR: Natural frequency > 90 Hz 3

FEA: Person standing on X-slide
Simulate a 650N (146lb) person standing on carriage.

Max stress: 203 MPa

(Yield strength: 275 MPa)

4
Shaft Fatigue

Compare to UNS G41300 steel (very similar composition and

physical properties)

Endurance limit: 50 ksi = 345 MPa

Max spindle shaft under nominal cutting forces: 200 MPa

→ Conclusion: Spindle has infinite life

Flexures FEA: Mesh/Fixtures/Loads

6
Rail Flexure FEA
Fatigue under
X-Stiffness nominal conditions Buckling Worst case

Applied loads/ X-force: 1N on cylinder X-disp: 128 μm X-disp: 66.6 μm X-disp: 137 μm
displacements Y-rot: 0.015 deg Y-rot: 0.0189 deg Y-rot: 0.0189 deg
Y-force: 2000N X-force: 220 N

Result Δ = 1.58 mm σmax = 8.29 MPa Load factor = 1.83 σmax = 18.3 MPa

Conclusion/ Kx = 632 N/μm FR: σmax < 120 MPa Force to buckle ≈ σyield = 275 MPa
Implications for 104 cycles 3660 N → Will not break
→ Will not fatigue → Will not buckle

Safety factor 14.5 14.4 15 7

Dancing Man FEA
X-Trans Y-Trans Z-Trans Z-Rot Worst Case

Applied loads/ X-force: 100 N Y-force: 100 N Z-force: 85 N X-torque: 0.1Nm X-disp: 12 μm
displacements Y-disp: 14 μm
Z-force: 200 N

Result Δ = 0.0974 mm Δ = 0.092 mm Δ = 0.0107 mm Ө = 0.0205o σmax = 73.9 MPa

σmax = 155 MPa

Conclusion/ Kx = 1.026 N/μm Ky = 1.087 N/μm Kz = 7.494 N/μm Kz,rot = 279 Nm/rad σyield = 275 MPa
Implications → Will not break
or fatigue

Stiffness ratio/ Kz/Kx = 7.3 Kz/Ky = 6.9 SF = 1.6 SF = 43 SF = 3.7

Safety factor 8