Algorithms for Rapid Development of Inherently-Manufacturable Laminate Devices

We present several algorithms suited for the generation and analysis of structures used in manufacturing laminate electro-mechanical devices. These devices may be fabricated by a family of related manufacturing processes such as printed-circuit MEMS (PC-MEMS) smart composite microstructures (SCM), or lamina emergent mechanisms (LEM), which, by utilizing multi-material laminate composites, enables kinematic motion, component embedding, and monolithic fabrication of high-precision millimeter-scale features. The presented algorithms enable rapid generation of manufacturing features such as support structures and cut files, while facilitating integration with the user’s design intent and available material removal processes. An exemplar device is presented, which, though simple in concept, could not be manufactured without the aid of an expert designer to produce the same features generated by these algorithms.