Additive Manufacturing: from elementary flexible structures to compliant mechanisms

Abstract

The use of Additive Manufacturing (AM) processes for cutting-edge applications is a constantly growing topic of interest from the main actors of the space and aerospace industries. While the largest part of the research presently reported is focused on developing and optimizing designs of rigid structural parts, little work has been published up to now to determine the limits related to the manufacturing of thin, flexible structures used in compliant mechanisms.