High Precision XY Stage (compliant mechanism) - Free 3D Print Model

Search models, users, collections, and posts

WimV

Education>Engineering

IP Report

Print Profile(1)

All

P1S

P1P

X1 Carbon

X1E

Complete XY stage with standard (small) table.

Designer

7 h

4 plates

5.0(11)

Open in Bambu Studio

Boost

353

850

345

Released

Description

A very accurate XY stage for use with a USB microscope (for example).

I have always been very intrigued by compliant mechanisms and what you can achieve with them. For this model I based myself on the presentation and explanation of this system which you can find HERE. I was curious whether you could achieve the same effect and precision with 3D printing.

The final model is extremely suitable for making a very cheap hobby setup with a USB microscope, which in itself are very easy and cheap to obtain. Normally, moving the object under a microscope with your free hand is very difficult and frustrating. With this XY stage you can very easily move objects under the microscope with µm precision (without the object rotating in the field of view).

The whole consists of (many) leaf springs that together ensure the freedom of movement and accuracy. The final freedom of movement is limited (approximately 5.8mm stroke in X and Y), but sufficient for use under a microscope. The movement is provided by 2 spindles that are built up with the help of an M3 screw. These have a pitch of 0.5mm, which means that with 1 revolution a displacement of 0.5mm occurs. The scale on the knob is 10 lines, which means that with a revolution of 1 line only 0.05mm or 50µ is moved!

Hardware parts:

You need 2x M3x20 cylinder screw with hexagon socket (DIN912 - M3x20) and 4x M3 nut (DIN934 - M3)

Assembly:

2x making the spinde assembly.

Mount en glue the assembly according to below image..

Now place the spindle assemblies in the bottom plate:

Now Glue the Bottom- and Topplate together.

First apply glue to indicated surfaces:

Check there's no tension on the leaf springs!

Then place the topplate (in correct orientation) on the bottomplate.

Make sure you press all parts well aligned and tight together.

As last part, glue the 4 feet in the recesses from the bottom plate.

The standard table is small, due to the fact that I wanted to see the mechanism in action (and not hide it). If you want to use a bigger table, i've added a 100mx100m table with the STL files.

___________________________________________________________________________

p.s. The official name for this model is: mirror-symmetrical xy compliant parallel manipulator (see video in mentioned link)

microscope accessories

manipulation

Comment & Rating (25)

@rjworkshop2023

A superb model, further stabilized by a custom-designed base, eliminating wobble during microscopic adjustments

Show original

@dry_serial

Boosted

now this is a model! I don’t have a reason to print it yet, but it’s super cool to see you reproduce recent research and make it available to the masses. I might print it just because it’s cool as hell. well deserved boost :)

The designer has replied

@wim_v

Thanks 🙏🏻

@bobis

Print Profile

Complete XY stage with standard (small) table.

An excellent design, one of the few compliant mechanism adaptations that is genuinely effective at what it does, and significantly easier to put together than a conventionally-designed stage. The only issues I can think of are the dial design- needs a lot of filament changes and doesn't significantly increase precision or legibility compared to normal dial lines- and an M3 leadscrew being mushy and imprecise. I'd love a version that uses a differential screw to achieve finer control using off-the-shelf hardware, but that's a whole 'nother ordeal.

@Snarfster

its amazing! would you be able to make an A1 compatible model? or would it not fit on the plate?

The designer has replied

@wim_v

I suspect I unchecked A1 for the profile. It's small enough to print on an A1 (mini)

@user_915120854

same issue, it won't let me print just says incompatible printer. any chance of a reupload?

@user_2141863441

Print Profile

Complete XY stage with standard (small) table.

such a good design! I did use epoxy in some places to secure the parts. very helpful in my lab.

@user_691449835

Print Profile

Complete XY stage with standard (small) table.

Excellent construction, works perfectly. I see potential for improvement at most in the screw drive. But it's completely OK as is!

Show original

@Hilttt

Stunning.

@plvcebo

very awesome job. I also have no use case for this on my side, but I enjoy that people are creating such things here :) keep on going

@.s_.

Boosted

this is cool, reminds me of the stage on electron microsocpes.

@zackza

this looks like some sort of 3d printed nano machine or something, ive seen a sort of printable 3 axis mouse that reminds me of this yeah so is it kinda like those gear boxes where the last gear uis moving tiny movements? also reminds me of one of those games wheert you steer the marble lol so you use a nut and bolt to slowly turn a little thing that turns another thing that turns another and so on untill youre turjning micro meters? or even molecules? lol

License

This user content is licensed under a Standard Digital File License.

You shall not share, sub-license, sell, rent, host, transfer, or distribute in any way the digital or 3D printed versions of this object, nor any other derivative work of this object in its digital or physical format (including - but not limited to - remixes of this object, and hosting on other digital platforms). The objects may not be used without permission in any way whatsoever in which you charge money, or collect fees.