Electrostatically Actuated FGM Microgripper under the Effect of Thermal Moment

In previous researches, mechanical behavior of a microgripper with homogenous and the same material has been studied. In this paper considering the desired characteristics of FGMs, as a good thermal and wear resistance, the mechanical behavior of FGM microgripper under DC voltage and temperature variations is investigated. It is assumed that the two microbeams of the FGM microgripper are mounted symmetrically against each other and one side of the microbeams is made of a pure metal the other side is a mixture of metal and ceramic, and the percentage of ceramic varies exponentially through the microbeams thickness. The nonlinear equations governing the static deflection of microbeams due to the application of DC voltage and the temperature changes are derived and solved using the step by step linearization method and the Galerkin method. The response and the stability of the system against the variation of DC voltage and temperature are investigated. Also, the effect of geometrical dimensions, ceramic percentage and its variations through the microbeams thickness on the mechanical behavior and the system stability are studied.