Introduction to Micromechanisms and Microactuators

This book presents a basic introduction to micromechanisms and microactuators, particularly to their basic configurations and design. This book fills the persisting gap in the published literature on the mechanical manipulative aspects of micromechanisms. It also helps in offering specialized introductory courses on micromechanisms and microactuators not as part of MEMS sensing devices, but as mechanical manipulative systems. The level of the book is suitable for use in both undergraduate and introductory graduate programmes. The book presents an overview of miniaturization and scaling laws, basic design principles of micro-sized mechanisms and actuators, micro-fabrication processes, and some futuristic issues. The volume contains a large number of figures and illustrations for easy understanding by the readers. It will also be useful to researchers and professionals looking for an introduction to the topic.

Amitabha Ghosh, did his Bachelor’s, Master’s and Doctoral degrees in Mechanical Engineering from Calcutta University in 1962, 1964 and 1969, respectively. After serving as a Lecturer in Mechanical Engineering at his alma mater, Bengal Engineering College, Shibpur (now an Institute of National Importance – Indian Institute of Engineering Science and Technology, Shibpur) from 1965 to 1970 Professor Ghosh joined Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur in January 1971 as an Assistant Professor. Since 1975 June he served the Institute as Professor of Mechanical Engineering till his retirement in 2006. During 1977 – 1978 Professor Ghosh visited RWTH Aachen as a Senior Fellow of the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation and subsequently, he visited RWTH Aachen with Humboldt fellowship many more times till 2012. He served Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur as the Director from 1997 to 2002. His primary areas of research are Manufacturing Science, Robotics, Kinematics and Mechanism Theory and Dynamics of Mechanical Systems. Professor Ghosh has written a number of text books which are very popular both in India and abroad. He has guided many Master’s and doctoral students and published a large number of research papers. He received many academic awards including a number of Calcutta University Gold Medals, D Sc (h.c.), Distinguished Teacher award from IIT Kanpur and Award for Excellence in Research by National Academy of Engineering. He is a fellow of all the four national science and engineering academies in India.

Burkhard Joachim Corves is currently University Professor and Director of the Department of mechanism theory and machine dynamics at RWTH Aachen University, Germany. He received his PhD in 1989 from the same university. Dr Corves has to his credit several books and almost 200 technical papers covering different topics such as robotics, cam mechanism, glass machinery, pneumatic mechanisms, computer-aided graphical analysis and synthesis in mechanism theory, mechatronic development, and machine design strategy. He also actively teaches courses in machine and mechanism design, kinematics, dynamics, and robotics.