A Novel Compliant Connection Mechanism with Thermal Distortion Self-Elimination Function

Abstract

As a novel technology for fabricating large-screen OLED devices, OLED inkjet printing places extreme demands on the positioning accuracy of inkjet printing platforms. However, thermal deformation of the connection mechanism often reduces the printing precision of OLED printing equipment, significantly impacting overall print quality. This study introduces a compliant connection mechanism that achieves precise positioning of the inkjet printing platform and can self-eliminate thermal distortion. The design of the mechanism’s core component is based on the Freedom and Constraint Topology (FACT) principle. This component is constructed from three distinct compliant sections arranged in series, collectively providing three degrees of freedom. Furthermore, the resistance to deformation caused by gravity and other external forces was evaluated by analyzing both vertical and horizontal stiffness. To validate the mechanism’s thermal distortion elimination and gravity resistance capabilities, finite element analysis (FEA) was carried out. The results demonstrate that the mechanism effectively reduces the maximum deformation of the platform by approximately 46% and the average deformation across the entire platform by approximately 59%. These findings confirm that the mechanism has potential in high-precision positioning tasks that need to mitigate thermal distortion.

Keywords

• compliant mechanism
• FACT
• thermal distortion
• OLED inkjet printing