(Dr. David Rosen, advisor)

"Structural Thermal-Electric Modeling and Analysis of Micro-Springs for Microelectronic Probing and Packaging Applications"

Abstract

Additive Fabrication is a class of manufacturing processes, which build parts by adding material, as opposed to subtracting material from a solid object. The commercial processes include Stereolithography, Selective Laser Sintering, and so on. Truss structures can be utilized as the internal structures of mechanism links to enhance their mechanical properties and dynamic properties: augment strength, reduce inertia/stiffness. It is difficult, time-consuming, costly, or even impossible with standard manufacturing processes to build these truss structures, while Additive Fabrication offers the capability to implement the truss structures.

The principal question to be addressed in this thesis is “How can the geometric modeling tools, finite element analysis methods, rapid prototyping technologies, and engineering design approaches be utilized to support the design, representation and fabrication of truss structures with Additive Fabrication?” The goal of this research is to investigate the application of the truss produced with Additive Fabrication as the internal structures of mechanism links to enhance their mechanical and dynamic properties. This was accomplished in this thesis through:
 

• Applying Computer-Aided Design and Geometric Modeling technologies to create CAD models of the truss structures.
• Utilizing Finite Element Methods and Optimization Technologies to optimize the truss structures for best enhancing the mechanical and dynamic properties.